


Turning Tables

by Emily_F6



Category: Need Series - Carrie Jones, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-15
Updated: 2014-09-15
Packaged: 2018-02-17 12:12:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2309249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emily_F6/pseuds/Emily_F6
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was supposed to be an uneventful college visit...a way to get away from the craziness of pixie wars and family members who barely trusted her anymore, if just for a day. But Zara finds herself in an all too familiar position when she decides to wander off alone. It turns out, there are more members to her mythological world than she first suspected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Pixie Tip: Pixies often appear human. This is called a glamour...don't let that fool you, or it could be the last mistake you ever make. 

Renesmee

I pulled my phone out of my pocket, making sure I hadn't missed any calls. Out of all the girls in my freshman class, I was one of the few with a cellphone. Then again, this town was so small, most of us lived within walking distance to school. Still, I was the only hybrid vampire, and probably the only one had to worry about things like werewolves and other vampires and other supernatural threats. Probably also the only one that occasionally felt the urge to drink my classmates. Still I had it a lot easier than the rest of my family, as I could eat human food with no problem…not that I particularly enjoyed most of it, especially cafeteria food.

Both Jasper and Emmett had offered to give me a ride home from school, but I preferred walking. The sunlight gave my skin a faint glow, but nothing like theirs, and so I could still go to school on sunny days. They were all in college at the moment, leaving me alone at high school, something I insisted I didn't mind, although I didn't tell anyone how strange it felt to go to school with your parents and aunts and uncles…and pretending to be their younger sister. Of course, our family was a bit strange anyway, but when I was alone in high school, I could blend in, make friends….pretend to be a normal thirteen year old…even though I was actually only about four.

That was another point of contention with me. Why did I age so quickly? And when I reached seventeen…I sighed, adjusting the messenger bag full of books I carried. It was hardly something to complain about. The rest of my family was all frozen at their current age, even though they were all really old, except Mom. Still, it was weird. I would never get old…which wasn't that big a deal. Hopefully I could pass for older one day...I did eventually want to graduate from college and get a job. My family often moved around, going to different high schools, but I hoped to skip that family tradition. It wasn't really that great the first time around.

My phone vibrated in my hand, and I glanced down at the screen, reading the text message from Jacob. Be careful walking home. I sighed a little, smiling. Everyone in my family was ridiculously overprotective. I started to text him back when I heard a strange, muffled noise. Glancing up, I paused, and after a moment, I returned my phone to my pocket.

"Mph! Mmm." I lifted an eyebrow, stepping off the path and into the forest. It sounded like someone had tape over their mouth or something. "Mph!" I moved more quickly, jogging through the forest for a moment, then freezing when I found myself in a small clearing.

The girl was tied to a tree with what looked to be barbed wire, and I stared at her from the forest, my jaw hanging open. She reeked of blood….well, sort of. It wasn't like any blood I'd ever smelled, but was closer to mine than it was to an animal's…or Jacob. She was shaking, her head drooping as she seemed to be doing everything she could just to hold herself up. A piece of duct tape was covering her mouth, and it looked like her stomach had been ripped open, there was so much blood dripping from her body. 'She can't be human.' I took a hesitant step toward the girl…thing…whatever she was. She was in pain…I had to help her. I couldn't just let her die alone, tied to a tree.

Getting closer, I realized I could smell a wolf in the area…not Jacob. I hadn't known there were others around. I tensed. Our first month in New Hampshire and already we'd found new enemies. Well, maybe they weren't our enemies. Maybe Grandpa would talk to them, like he had Jacob's family. I glanced around, my hand touching my pocket, wondering why Alice hadn't seen this.

The girl looked up at me, her eyes widening, and made a desperate, muffled noise to get my attention. I moved closer, taking my hand off my pocket and holding it up beside my other one. "I…I don't know what you are, but I'm going to help, okay?" I told her in a quiet, soothing voice like I was talking to a wounded animal. She wasn't a shapeshifter, that was for sure, and she wasn't a vampire like us. As I stood only a foot away from her, I realized it smelled like she was burning, and looking down at her arms, I realized her skin was red and singed, painful blisters appearing around the wire that held her. "I'm going to pull the tape off." I told her quietly, and when she only stared at me, her brown eyes dull with pain. As quickly as I could, I ripped the tape off, flinching when she did. "Are…are you okay? I mean…of course you're not…I'm sorry…here." I reached out, gripping the barbed wire where it dug into her, pulling carefully at the knot, and she groaned, mumbling something under her breath that sounded like 'freaking irony.' I was glad for my extra hard skin when the barbs tried to scratch at me, but the knot was surprisingly tight, and I wondered if I would just be able to break the wire.

The woman finally seemed to look up at me, her eyes focusing as I worked at the knot. "Thank you." She mumbled, suppressing another moan of pain, and I tried to smile despite the heavy scent of her strange blood, alerting me to the seriousness of her situation.

"I'm going to call my grandfather, okay? He's a doctor. He'll help you. Just let me get you free first." Her eyes widened in horror and she shook her head.

"No…I can't go to a hospital…they…"

"Won't know what you are?" I smiled a bit when her eyes widened. "Won't know how to treat you?" She sniffed subtly, her eyes narrowing.

"What are you?" She whispered, her eyes darting to the side.

"I could ask you the same thing." I told her casually, still freeing her, and finally the knot came loose. I pulled the barbed wire away as quickly as I could, hurrying to catch her when she collapsed, her body slumping against me. She groaned in pain once more, her breath catching as her legs gave out, and I eased her to the ground, touching her face gently. Tears formed in her eyes and dripped from the corners as she shuddered, one hand moving to protect her stomach. "My grandfather won't hurt you…he's a doctor, okay. We won't hurt you." I promised softly. She seemed too exhausted to answer as she lay on the forest floor, her body shaking, and I pulled my new coat off, pressing it against her stomach and ignoring her soft cry of pain.

She didn't answer me, so I pulled out my cellphone, holding it against my ear as soon as I pressed the speed dial, waiting anxiously for my grandfather to pick up. "Hello, Renesmee." He greeted me, sounding a little worried. I should have been home already, I realized.

"Grandpa, you've got to come. There's a girl in the forest…I….oh!" I jerked back as the girl changed in front of me, her skin darkening and changing until it was varying shades of deep blue, and her nails turned sharp. When she gasped, I realized her mouth was now full of pointed teeth.

"Renesmee! Are you okay?" He sounded panicked now, and I took a deep breath.

"I don't know what she is, but she's hurt…please…."

"I'm on my way. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I assured him, pressing the coat to the blue creature's stomach. "Her stomach…it's like something bit her. She's bleeding a lot…I'm trying to put pressure on it."

I could smell him now as he approached, his voice coming to me calmly over the phone. "Good. Just keep pressure on it. Does she have any other serious wounds?" He spoke calmly, the professional doctor voice soothing me as the girl bled onto my hands. Thankfully her blood was too far from human to smell appetizing.

"It looks like she was burned….her arms where she was tied…she was tied to a tree with barbed wire." The words were appalled and I heard him take a deep breath. His scent grew closer and closer, and I looked up from the blue creature's side as he appeared, dropping his phone and crouching beside me, his hands replacing mine on her stomach. The creature's eyes were closed, and her breathing was more labored as she trembled. He looked grimly at the creature for a long moment, two fingers going to her neck, then glanced over at me.

"Go back to the house, Renesmee." He ordered me quietly, his voice not to be argued with although I dearly wanted to. "Get hot water, blankets, towels…try and find her some new clothes. I'm going to need some help when I get her back, so be ready." He took a deep breath. "Although she smells so unlike humans…I doubt we'll need to get Emmett or Jasper out of the house." He grimaced, then gestured toward the house with his head, and I stood, looking back at the woman one last time before breaking into a run. "It's going to be okay." I heard him murmur to the girl as I hurried to our house.

My uncles were sitting on the sofa when I raced through the door, and my uncle Jasper seemed to take in my emotions with surprise, turning away from the TV. "What's wrong, Ness?" He wondered, standing as I dropped the bag that hung over my shoulder and raced into the kitchen, running hot water and filling a large bowl almost to the brim. When I glanced back, they were both standing in the kitchen doorway, the TV forgotten. Everyone else had gone hunting, and weren't due back for another day or two, but for some reason, the two had decided to remain home with Carlisle.

"Nessie?" Emmett touched my shoulder when I placed the second bowl full of hot water onto the counter, hoping that would be enough for a start. I turned back to him, noticing that he was sniffing the air with some confusion.

I realized I was shaking a little, and I took a deep breath, telling myself firmly to calm down. Grandpa Carlisle would take care of her, and she would be fine…whatever she was. And whatever had hurt her…well we were probably not going to be threatened by it. "I found something in the woods…a…girl?" Jasper lifted an eyebrow at my tone, and I shrugged. "She's hurt really badly. Grandpa Carlisle is bringing her back." Emmett nodded then, and Jasper turned serious.

"We should go." I shook my head, reaching out and catching he wrist when he started to turn. I was surprised they hadn't smelled her blood on me, but the scent was so unique…then again, maybe they just hadn't asked.

"She's not human. She's not a shapeshifter either…I don't know what she is…" Giving up on explaining, I held out my hands to them, palms up. I preferred to speak for myself now, and since Mom kept Dad out of all our minds most of the time with her shield, I never had to share my thoughts with anyone else. But occasionally, my gift did come in handy. Both of my uncles touched my palms, their eyes widening as I focused on the girl I'd found, the way she'd appeared normal, but then how she'd collapsed, her skin turning blue, the sharp teeth.

When the memory was over, I pulled away, halting the stream of memories that would be shared with them. Before they could ask anything else, I brushed past them, hurrying to find towels and blankets, and carrying them upstairs into his office. Jasper and Emmett were upstairs in a second, pushing furniture back and pulling a couch to the center of the room. I covered it with a white sheet and placed the water and towels on a table nearby, along with Grandpa's black bag and some blankets. It wasn't long before he entered the house, hurrying up to the room where we all waited, the blue creature unconscious in his arms.

"They left her tied to a tree?" Emmett nearly growled the sentence, looking disgusted, but Carlisle nodded while I stood back beside Jasper, his hand resting on my shoulder, flooding me with calm as he observed the girl warily.

"They intended for her to die…she's lost a lot of blood." He grimaced, carefully pulling up her shirt and pressing a towel to the deep wound there. "It looks like she was bitten…" I couldn't help shuddering as I glanced out the window, and Jasper growled softly, the sound a reassurance that we were protected here.

"What is she?" Emmett wondered softly, his arms crossed.

"I've never seen anything like her…but I've heard of creatures like this…pixies." Emmett lifted an eyebrow. "Myths mostly…or I though they were. Apparently they are repelled by iron…that much seems true. That's what caused these burns." The bleeding was slowing, and he dropped the red cloth on the table to get a new one. "Whoever tied her up knew that."

"What do you think did it?" I asked quietly from Jasper's side.

"I'm not sure…" He pulled out a sewing kit, placing two fingers against her throat once more and grimacing. "She's lost so much blood…but I can't give her a transfusion…or rather, it may do more harm than good if I don't know her blood type…or her species really. Nessie, hand me some of that cream for her burns in my bag, please." I did, pulling out the jar and opening it for him, then, as he directed, began to rub it over the blisters. Her skin was almost too hot. "I don't know if she is travelling with others of her kind…or if she's alone. If there were others, family or friends, then I could ask them…some of the myths I've heard claim that they travel alone and are dangerous to humans, but others say they travel in groups and are peaceful, blending in like we do."

He wiped at her face with a cloth, cleaning traces of blood there as he pulled out a bottle of alcohol, pouring it over a needle. "The only needles I have are made of steel…I'm not sure if that will cause a reaction in her or not, but I have to get this wound closed before she bleeds out. She's already lost so much…" He glanced over at Emmett, grimacing. "Can you hold her? In case she fights? I need her to stay still." My uncle nodded, his lips turned down as he stood in front of the girl's head, his hands firmly on her arms above where she'd been burned, and Jasper moved to hold her legs while I took her head.

"Keep her as still as possible. I'll be quick." He told us softly, and I fought a wave of nausea when the needle pierced her skin, the smell of burning flesh making all of us flinch. It was only a second later that she screamed.


	2. Chapter 2

Pixie Tip: As it turns out, there are good pixies. Telling the difference…that's the hard part. You know that myth about inviting vampires into your home? Yeah, that applies to pixies, so be careful who you let in your house.

Zara

I came to when an awful burning made my skin nearly bubble, and I screamed, trying to struggle, to get away from the terrible pain, but someone was holding me down…a lot of someones. Tears pooled in my eyes and dripped down my face as I screamed and cried out, begging them to stop. It wasn't bad enough they'd ripped my stomach open…now they were torturing me! Where was I? I tried to focus as something stabbed me again and again in the stomach, and the familiar reaction to iron made me scream again. New Hampshire...I had a feeling I was still in New Hampshire...we'd been visiting a college...Cassidy and I. Where as Cassidy? Was she okay...had whatever had attacked me gotten her? No...I'd left the hotel to take a walk. I hoped she was okay...I remembered suddenly that it had been a wolf. Why had a wolf attacked me?! And where was Astley? Wasn't he supposed to know when I was hurt now that I was…ugh…a pixie? He'd come when I'd been shot…Gram was going to be so mad! So was Nick…well, maybe not. He wasn't exactly speaking to me… I hadn't even told them I was coming here…it had been Cassidy's idea anyway. A weekend trip, just the two of us, to visit a college, an attempt at normalcy during all the craziness…Issie had tried to come too, but was quickly vetoed by her mother. I had texted Astley, but had received no reply, so I had assumed he was busy with his…king stuff. Who knew what he did when he wasn't hanging around with us.

I was brought out of my musings when the pain returned, and I screamed again, trying to fight, feeling my fingernails lengthen into claws as I tried to get away. But the hands holding me down didn't relent. "Please!?" I wasn't above begging, although I kept my eyes shut tight, the pain radiating through my stomach. "Please stop!" I sobbed, and after another minute, they did.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Someone was touching my face while something was pressed against my stomach, and I hesitantly opened my eyes that filled with tears still. "I'm so sorry, I had to close the wound on your stomach. You were bleeding out…the local anesthetic did not have any effect on your reaction to steel I'm afraid." My reaction to…how would he know about my reaction to steel and iron? I tried to focus on the blurry face that slowly came into focus in front of mine and was momentarily stunned. He was easily the most handsome man I'd ever seen, fair and blonde and too pale. He was no pixie…but from his scent it was obvious he wasn't human either. He smelled sweet…sickly sweet almost, like an overload of vanilla, but cold too, like the sharp smell of an icy morning. I wrinkled my nose and he smiled a little, kindness showing in his eyes. "I've never come across your scent either, little one." He told me gently, and the hands that had been restraining me let go as my nose wrinkled and I bristled at the term. He smiled faintly. "Forgive me…my name is Carlisle. I'm a doctor. My granddaughter Renesmee found you in the forest and called for me to help you." I nodded…that bit I remembered. But I was too tired to answer…I opened my mouth, but darkness seemed to invade my vision once more.

"I'm….I…"

"It's okay. Just rest for now. You're badly injured…and you've lost a lot of blood." He spoke gently still, and something warm touched my face, wiping away the blood, I supposed, as I lost consciousness once more.

Renesmee

I stood by Carlisle as he tucked blankets around the girl, her blue skin nearly pale now. He'd cleaned her up quickly, ordering my uncles to go downstairs while he'd changed her out of the bloody clothes, having me assist, and covering her as quickly as possible with a professionalism that soon gave way to worry as her skin heated up. She was trembling in her sleep now, and my grandfather flinched when he touched her face. "She's burning up…I don't know if Tylenol will help her." He looked down at me briefly, his arm wrapping around my shoulders, and I leaned against him, wishing my mom and dad were here…and Alice. Alice would be able to tell if she would be okay…maybe. Then again, Alice couldn't see me half the time, and she could never see Jacob. "I'm going to try it...let me see if I have anything stronger first. I'm worried about giving her anything...anything could be poisonous to her."

A frantic pounding on the door got all of our attention, and I heard Emmett move to the door downstairs, his quiet voice wary as he greeted the person. I slipped away from my grandfather, hurrying down the stairs and hiding around the corner, peering at the man on our porch. He was tall and large, his blonde hair swept back away from his face, and he had piercing blue eyes that were full of worry. "You have to let me in….let me help her!" He pleaded, his fists clenched, and Emmett glanced back at me, then at Jasper who'd come to stand beside him.

"Help who?" Emmett asked calmly, and I could almost feel the anxiety and anger rolling off the man.

"I know she's here. I can feel it! Her scent is on you...whatever you are."

"Who are you, exactly?" Emmett wondered, and I could imagine his face, one eyebrow lifted as he cocked his head.

"I am her king and I can help her." He snapped, leaning forward, but not attempting to move past my uncles.

"Her...king?" He seemed to sigh, and before our eyes, his skin turned blue, his eyes flashed silver, and his teeth sharpened into fine points.

"I am a pixie, and the girl upstairs is going to die if you don't let me help her!"

"How do we know it wasn't you who attacked her?" Emmett demanded, crossing his arms.

"I…how dare you!" He snarled, his silver eyes flashing. "She is my queen!"

None of us were sure what that was supposed to mean, and Emmett glanced back in my direction once more. "We'll ask her when she wakes up again." Jasper decided suddenly, backing away from the door. The man glared, his eyes roaming the inside of our house until he found me by the stairs.

"Please." He was speaking only to me, his tone almost hypnotic. "You have to invite me in…I have to help her. She will heal much more quickly if you allow me to help her." I frowned at the compelling, hypnotic tone of his voice, gently washing over me. "Let me in. Renesmee, invite me in." I opened my mouth, about to speak, when the door slammed and two arms were around me, holding me firmly to a large, cold chest, and I immediately recognized Emmett.

"Leave her alone!" Jasper snarled at the wood, and Emmett peered down into my eyes as I blinked quickly, trying to figure out what he'd done.

"You okay?" Emmett demanded, his hand on my back. Carlisle was standing on the stairs, staring between the three of us in worry until I nodded.

"Fine." I answered shortly, glancing back at the door where I knew the man still stood. "What did he do?" Carlisle shook his head, turning toward the stairs once more.

"I don't know…keep him out until I can speak with her. I need to get her fever down...now." To our surprise, the man only continued to pound at the door, when he could obviously have opened it himself…

"He wanted me to invite him in…" I let my words trail off as we headed over to the sofa, the TV on a baseball game. I decided to remain downstairs, not wanting to get in Carlisle's way.

"Maybe that's where the myth about us came from." Jasper suggested with a shrug, handing me a glass of water as I sat between them, the TV on low. I could hear the pixie pacing back and forth on our porch, and I wondered if he was right…if she would die without him. And what had he meant about being a king? Taking a long drink of water, the only human drink that didn't taste like disgusting carbonation or odd plants and sugar, I closed my eyes for a moment, wondering if I really would have let him in.

Zara

When I next awoke, the sharp pain in my stomach was just a dull ache. Still, I felt weak and dizzy, and didn't dare trying to sit up. I was so cold…why was I so cold? Or was I hot? I couldn't tell…I was covered with a blanket of some sort, but I was suddenly shaking. Or maybe I'd already been shaking…someone touched me, and their hand was too cold….I flinched away, but then something cold was placed against my forehead. "…burning up." I couldn't make sense of his words. Opening my eyes, I found the same blonde man hovering over me, his expression full of worry. "You're going to be okay." He was trying to assure me, but I could feel his doubt, different than human emotions but still there.

"Astley?" I groaned the name, hoping he was somewhere nearby. Maybe he could help the doctor…did pixies need different medical care? I had no idea...my grandmother had been there to help when I'd been shot, and I'd never asked if they had done anything differently than normal. Only Astley would know. I needed him there...if I was going to die, I didn't want to do it with just some strange...creature for company, even if he was kind. I was afraid...and so cold. "You….can you…" I swallowed hard, which made my stomach hurt for some reason. "Call Astley."

"I'm sorry?" Another blanket was pulled over me and a gentle hand touched my cheek. "Who is Astley?"

"King." I murmured, hoping that made sense. Then again, if he didn't know anything about pixies, it wouldn't. "He's…call him…my phone." I shivered under the blankets, but the cool cloth on my forehead felt wonderful. His hands were like ice though…why?

"Is she talking about the guy outside?" I wasn't sure who these people were…how long had I been asleep?

"I think…he's still demanding…"

"Maybe…did he do this? I was…" Their sentences weren't making sense anymore, so I reached out, finding a cold hand that held mine gently as I tugged.

"Please…Astley…pixie…king." I tried, but my mouth didn't want to work.

"You have to let me in!" I could hear him yelling, that familiar voice, and I felt a wave of relief. Why wasn't he helping me though? Why was he pounding at a door?

"Astley! Please…" I called weakly, hoping he would come in. Was he angry that I'd gone away for the weekend without talking to him? Was I supposed to let him know where I was all the time or something? Was that part of the deal? I was so sleepy, but I was afraid to sleep again. Wasn't he supposed to help me like before? When I'd been shot…he'd helped me somehow then.

"Should we…"

"Is he the one that hurt you?" The man holding my hand asked quietly, and I struggled to focus past the haze that seemed to have invaded my brain.

"No…he's…king. My king." I was so cold…I tried to burrow under the blankets. "Please…need Astley." I tried to make him understand, but suddenly there was another presence at my side.

"I'm here, Zara." He murmured, and his familiar hand was in mine. I forced my eyes open and sighed a little in relief.

"Sorry…wolf…I thought…." I drooped back against the pillows, still shaking, and both of his hands were holding one of mine.

"Hush, Zara. You don't have to apologize. Just rest. I'll help you." I realized that my eyes had shut again, and I fought to open them, knowing he could feel my fear and confusion. He said something about medicine, and I heard the doctor murmur something quietly, but I was shaking and the covers were being moved back as someone looked at my stomach and I didn't want to die. Not like this...not now.

"Don't want to die..." I sobbed in a broken voice, so tired and afraid, and he wiped a thumb under my eyes, brushing away the tears as he shushed me quietly One of his hands held mine while the other stroked my face, and his warm lips pressed against my forehead.

"Shh...I'm here, Zara. I won't let you die, I swear it. It is my duty to keep you safe and I will. You have to believe me." He spoke so solemnly, looked so seriously down at me, that I had to believe him…he was good for promises. I nodded, resting against the pillows and closing my eyes once more. Suddenly my hand felt warm where he held it, and the warmth seemed to travel through my arms and down to my stomach where the pain was, then all throughout my body until I was completely warm and so, so sleepy….

Renesmee

I stared at the blue skinned man as he sat at the girl's side, his jaw clenched tightly as he held her hand, and it wasn't until the girl slipped back into unconsciousness that he dropped his head, once hand gently resting on her cheek. "What happened to her?" It was nearly a whisper, and when neither myself nor my grandfather responded, he looked up at us. Carlisle was standing almost in front of me, his arm around me, his thumb rubbing up and down on my arm, and I realized we had no real idea who these creatures were, or if they were dangerous, either to us or to humans. Emmett and Jasper were still downstairs, but were standing, alert, and I could feel Jasper's anxiety saturating the house. My Uncle Jasper was the least likely of all of us to trust newcomers, but he was worse when Alice was around. "Please." His voice was so soft and sad, and as we watched, he moved his jaw just a little, and his skin turned back to a normal, human color, and his eyes went back to blue.

I stepped forward out from under my grandfather's arm, concentrating mentally on how I'd found her. The blonde pixie watched my approach, his eyes turning gentle. "I apologize for yesterday, little one." He said quietly. "I was desperate."

"I can show you how I found her." I told him simply, reaching out my hand to him, and he stared at me in confusion, then at Carlisle who had moved with me and was directly behind me, his hand on my lower back. "It won't hurt…" I prompted, reaching out. I had gotten to the point early on where I could control my gift, where I could touch someone without sharing my memories. It was second nature to me now, so when he reached out and took my hand hesitantly, it was easy to shift my mind, to allow him into my thoughts.

I concentrated on how it had sounded, her muffled cries, her muttering after I'd pulled the tape off of her mouth…the blood that had saturated the front of her shirt. Her soft 'thank you' had been next, and my arms catching her when she'd fallen. I didn't want to show him the next part, but he should know…I skipped to when Carlisle had placed her on the bed, the needle piercing her skin, and how it had taken all of us to hold her down as she'd screamed, begging for us to stop. His skin seemed to lose all color when she screamed in my memory, and then when she'd woken once the night before, confused and frightened and obviously in so much pain.

I pulled away, halting the stream of memories there since he was caught up, and clasped my hands behind me. He hadn't stiffened when I'd begun to show him with my gift, and he didn't ask now how I'd done it. "Take blood from me, it'll be safest." He told Carlisle quietly. "She needs it, although I can help her a little…it will help her heal more quickly." Carlisle looked at him in confusion for a moment, then nodded.

"If you believe that will help, then I am equipped to do a blood transfusion. It will mean more needles." He spoke apologetically, but the man only nodded.

"Of course." He kept her hand in his while my grandfather hurried around. "I didn't catch your name, little one." I met the man's eyes…well, he looked about Jasper's age, but if I had learned anything in my life, it was that appearances are often misleading.

"Renesmee." I answered easily, stepping out of Carlisle's way when he brought his black bag to their side, sitting beside them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Renesmee. I am Astley." He bowed his head a little, wincing just a bit when Carlisle pushed a needle into his skin.

"You're not having the same reaction." My grandfather sounded a bit suspicious, but Astley smiled.

"No. I remembered to take the pill…my people have developed pills that lessen the severity of our….reaction to iron. It isn't ideal, but it allows us to live in this modern world….which brings me to my question…I must ask, what exactly are you?"

"I suppose you would call us vampires, although the myths differ. Some say we are upier or nosferatu…but most of the myths are just that. We do drink blood, however. You may have heard of the stregoni benefici?"

"An Italian vampire on the side of good…an enemy to the evil ones?" Carlisle grinned. "Is that you?"

"That particular legend began with me." Astley stared at me for a moment, obviously aware of the implications of that statement.

"And you, Renesmee?" He said my name carefully, the almost Irish accent coloring the word. "You smell…almost human."

"Her mother was human when she gave birth to her." My grandfather told him simply, filling a bag with the blood of the creature.

"Was…oh…I'm so sorry." He looked up at me, his eyes sad, but I shook my head.

"My mom is alive." I told him with a little smile. "She's just not here right now…Dad saved her after I was born."

"We can turn humans into vampires with a bite….it is a painful process, however." Carlisle clarified. Astley nodded, squeezing the girl's hand when she moaned in her sleep.

"My queen, too, was human when I met her. I changed her only recently." His tone changed when he spoke about her, and he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then took a cloth that was resting at her side, gently wiping her face, then resting it on her forehead.

"How?" I couldn't help the question, and I was sure my grandfather wanted to know as well. Astley smiled a little.

"A pixie king need only kiss a human with intent…she was half pixie, a halfling, like you, little one. It made it easier for her…still, being turned into a pixie is painful as well, and is often deadly." Carlisle placed a needle at the crook of her elbow, wincing a little when she cried out in her sleep, trying to jerk away, but I stepped forward to help hold her. Astley winced, his jaw locking as he squeezed her hand, and she stilled a little as the blood began to drip into her veins. "You drink blood…human blood?" He asked carefully.

"I keep a supply of donated human blood in case of emergencies that I purchase from the hospital, but we hunt animals for the most part. That is where the rest of my family is." He nodded. "And you?"

"We eat human food, although when a king is weak, pixies can become…" He hesitated, stroking the girl's hand. "If a king is prone to bloodlust, his pixies can become out of control. That is what happened with Zara's father back home…we are…at war, I guess you would say, with an evil king."

"What does Zara have to do with it?" My grandfather wondered.

"She is my queen…a queen helps keep the king stable…we keep each other safe, and lend each other strength." As if sensing a sensitive topic, Carlisle didn't ask any more questions, only pulled the needle out of her skin once the transfusion was complete. For a long time, we sat in silence, watching the numbers of the portable monitor that the girl was hooked up to. Finally, Carlisle spoke, his voice almost silent.

"You love her." It wasn't a question, but Astley nodded after a moment.

"More than I can say…she is my queen…It is my duty to protect her." He touched her face, his eyes wet. "I cannot lose her, no matter who she…" He paused, shaking his head with a small smile. "No matter what. I cannot lose her."


	3. Chapter 3

Pixie Tip: Apparently, pixies are tied to their king, who is kept stable by a queen, who is subject to him. Sexist, but whatever. If a king goes crazy, his subjects go crazy.

Renesmee

It was pitch black outside…or it would have been to a human. I sat between my uncles, listening to Carlisle speak to the pixie man upstairs. We had all been worried at first, but the girl…Zara…seemed to be doing better now that the king guy was with her. He had remained at her side all day, her hand tightly in his as he murmured occasionally, or touched her face. Carlisle checked on them every few hours or so, asking the man if he could get him anything, but Astley refused every time, insisting that he was fine, that he only wished to be allowed to stay at her side. Carlisle assured him that he would be allowed to stay as long as he remained peaceful. I was sure we had nothing to fear from him…he only seemed to notice Zara, who was slowly gaining a little color.

The TV played one of Emmett's favorite moves about a family haunted by some kind of evil presence, and I tucked my legs up beside me, leaning against Jasper. Mom and Dad never let me watch scary movies, nor did my grandparents, but Emmett and Jasper usually didn't mind, as long as I didn't tell anyone. Of course, Carlisle knew, but he was a bit preoccupied. I felt my eyes slipping shut as I leaned against my uncle's side, and he wrapped an arm around me, pulling the blanket up around my shoulders. I wasn't cold, but I felt more comfortable when covered, especially during a scary movie. "It's past your bedtime, Ness. Aren't you tired?" Jasper asked quietly, and I shook my head.

"I'm waiting for everyone to get back." I insisted. I missed my Mom and Dad. He knew that of course, and kissed my hair gently, the comfort and calm spreading through me like a phantom warmth that only made me sleepier. I shrugged him off, giving him an irritated scowl, and Emmett chuckled, pulling me over to his side instead.

"Leave her alone, Jazz. They'll be back any minute. It won't kill her to stay up for just one night.

"Yeah, but Edward might kill us if he finds our you let her watch this movie and she has nightmares."

"I won't have nightmares! I'm not a baby." I told him with a scowl, and Emmett grinned.

"Yeah, Jasper!" My uncle rolled his eyes, but reached out with a reluctant grin to muss my hair.

"How about we at least watch something else? Hm? It's getting late for scary movies." Glancing at the clock, I realized it was nearly one a.m. and nodded. I didn't like these movies much anyway. Jasper stood, switching the DVD player off, and searched for something a little less frightening, eventually choosing a comedy about pirates he knew I liked. Retaking his place on the couch, he smiled up at Carlisle as my grandfather entered the room, nodding his approval at the choice of films and, surprisingly, not reprimanding me for staying up so late. I didn't have school the next day, regardless.

About halfway through the movie, the familiar sound of a car reached my ears a few seconds after it reached the rest of my family's, and I leapt up, bouncing anxiously as I waited for my parents to come through the door. It was only another minute or so before they appeared on the porch, pushing the door open with a smile.

"Mom! Dad!" I raced into Mom's open arms when she entered the living room, and she pulled me up and against her shoulder, her lips pressing against my hair. Dad wrapped his arms around both of us, kissing my forehead.

"Hello, sweetheart. What are you still doing up?" Mom asked, rocking me back and forth as she held me tightly in her arms, but I just held onto her instead of answering. My aunts passed us, each going to their husband, but Esme paused at our side, taking me from Mom's arms and kissing me on the nose.

"Hi, baby. How…" They all seemed to pause at the same time, all of them smelling the strange presence in the house at the same time, and Emmett grinned from where he'd come to join us, his arm around aunt Rosalie.

"I know right. They smell like mushrooms." He wrinkled his nose a little.

"What are they?" My dad asked, reaching out and pulling me into his arms, and I recognized the protective stance. Alice shrugged, sitting beside Jasper and tucking herself under his arm.

"Pixies. Carlisle's never met any, but they seem peaceful." I could tell it still frustrated my father sometimes when Mom kept him from reading everyone's thoughts as he rubbed my back, my arms wrapped around his neck. I was sure none of my friends had dads who held them like mine, who loved them like mine loved me. I squeezed tighter and he kissed my hair. I'd missed my parents more than I could say. I always did.

"I found her." I told him quietly, and he turned his head, facing me, his nose nearly touching mine.

"What? Found who, sweetheart?"

"The girl." I told him. "Zara…the pixie." With that, I reached out and touched his face, showing him my walk home from school, the woman tied to a tree, the blood…his eyes widened and Mom stepped closer, so I reached out, taking her hand and letting her see as well. Dad tightened his arms around me, kissing my hair once I stopped the stream of memories.

"They're not dangerous?" Dad asked, and Grandpa Carlisle shook his head.

"I don't believe so…not to us. They're peaceful, like us, and the female is still unconscious. He claims to be a king of his species, and she is his queen…he's helped her heal a great deal." I closed my eyes, listening to them talk without really absorbing any of it. It was always like this when they returned from a hunting trip without me…I felt like the baby that I should be, wanting only my Mom and Dad to hold me. I had a feeling they sensed this…they sat together on a loveseat, keeping me in his arms, and I curled up on his lap, my head on Mom's shoulder.

"They aren't a threat to us." Uncle Emmett informed my mom and dad, Rosalie at his side. They all spoke more quietly now, as if sensing I was ready to sleep.

"They're human-like…the female was a human not too long ago…not even a full month I believe. She's young. They're powerful, but they are peaceful, and have no qualm with us. The male, Astley, assured me that they would leave as soon as she is able."

"So she's going to survive." My mom spoke with some relief, and I knew it would hurt her if the girl died. My mom was like that…kind, just like my grandmother.

"I wasn't sure at first, but I believe so, yes. Astley has helped her a great deal, and we gave her a blood transfusion. I don't know what he did, but just in the first few minutes of sitting with her, he was able to heal many of her burns and scratches. I'd like to take some of their blood to study…" I felt my father chuckle softly before I closed my eyes, and someone draped a blanket over my shoulders.

"Poor thing…she's been waiting up for you all night." That was Jasper, and Emmett said something, but I was asleep before I could make sense of it.

Zara

Memories came quickly. My friend Cassidy and I had been on our way to visit Dartmouth college in an attempt to get away from all of the craziness at home, if just for a day. Since moving in with my grandmother Betty in Maine, I'd been thrown in the middle of a pixie war between my estranged father, a pixie king that leaned toward the side of evil…or had, since he'd died recently, and another king…and Astley…another king. I wanted to groan at the thought…my life was getting needlessly complicated. Regardless, when my boyfriend, Nick, had been nearly killed and taken to the mythical…well, I'd thought it was mythical, land of Valhalla, I'd allowed Astley to turn me into a pixie so that we could save him. And we had…but we'd lost a lot of people in the process.

I'd told my grandmother Betty where Cassidy and I were going, and I'd left Astley a text message. Astley…my relationship with my king was complicated. When I'd asked him to change me, I hadn't really known what being his queen would mean. I'd just known that I'd wanted Nick back. But now Nick, a werewolf who hated all pixies, would barely speak to me, and I still wasn't sure how I felt about Astley. I remembered how he'd been poisoned…by his own mother, who still wanted him dead so that she could rule. I remembered allowing one of his pixies to transfer some of the injury to me, how desperate I'd been to save him. Astley and I were always saving each other. I had a feeling he would have wanted to accompany us, and I felt a little guilty about not inviting us…for all I knew, he wanted to go to college too. It's not like Astley and I had had time to sit and talk about ourselves…we'd been kind of busy dealing with evil pixies and our friends and family dying and/or manipulating us and…well we'd been busy. So apart from the fact that he somehow knew where I was when I was in trouble and the fact that I somehow made him stronger, I wasn't too sure about our relationship, or why I felt guilty about not inviting him.

Then again, I hadn't expected to be in any kind of mortal danger on a college visit out of the state. I'd assumed he would be busy with his…whatever he did to keep himself occupied, since we had no new leads on anything, really, and since there had been no new developments. It had taken her days just to convince me to go, since I wasn't 100% sure that I would even survive high school. Still, I'd agreed eventually, with the promise to Betty to be careful, and we'd headed off on a Thursday night for a one night/one day girl's weekend type thingy that Cassidy had seemed pretty excited about. Usually my best friend Issie would have come, but her mom had gotten pretty paranoid with all the deaths in town (once again thanks to the evil pixies) and refused to let her go anywhere.

The trip had started out fine…I tried to remember where it had gone wrong. Because it had. I remembered the young girl untying me…but I needed to remember before that. A wolf. I'd taken a walk, and there had been a werewolf…I wasn't used to fearing werewolves, but the dog had leapt at me, his teeth going right for my stomach, and then tying me to the tree, somehow finding barbed wire. He'd known what I was, obviously. I had no idea why he'd attacked me…but I was grateful to the girl. And Astley. I suddenly remembered that Astley was here…where?

My stomach ached, but I didn't feel as weak now. He must have helped me again. I opened my eyes, surprise to find myself in a private office of some sort…the bed was comfortable, and several blankets were piled on top of me. Something cool was on my head, and I reached up slowly, removing a cold, wet cloth. I held it up, inspecting it for a second, then dropped it on the floor. I tried to sit up, but accomplished only a pained groan as I dropped back onto the bed limply. "Zara, stay still." I sighed in relief when Astley hurried into the room, gripping my hand anxiously. "You're still healing….how is your stomach?"

"What? Oh…okay." He lifted an eyebrow, obviously not really believing me, but he didn't push it, instead rubbing the back of my hand.

"You're going to be okay." He promised me, but he looked so tired…so worried, that I felt my heart clench. He was wearing a glamour, his blonde hair mussed as though he'd been running his hands through it all day, something he did when he was nervous.

"I'm sorry…I didn't know." I whispered the words, closing my eyes. "The wolf attacked me…I didn't think he would."

"You had no reason to expect him to attack you." He murmured, shaking his head, his eyes troubled. The weres that I knew were typically kind, or at least not violent. I thought of my grandmother, the tiger, and Nick…stopping the list with him. He'd done the same thing to Astley upon meeting him. Why should I expect any different now that I was a monster too? Still…how had he known…

"Why?" I wondered, blinking several times and looking around.

"Why did he attack you? I'm not sure…I got here as quickly as I could."

"Thank you." I sighed, closing my eyes, and I felt him brush a piece of hair off of my forehead. 'I must be sick.' I thought with a bit of surprise. 'I'm not pulling away…' I wasn't thinking of Nick, for once…I didn't feel a bit guilty. Nick had all but told me that he hated me, that he saw me as a soulless monster now. But Astley…what? How did Astley feel about me? That was a dumb question. I knew how he felt about me. But how did I feel about him? I remembered seeing him on the bed, the time his mother had poisoned him…remembered letting the other pixie transfer half of the injury to me…remembered being drained completely, the agony of the energy leaving every cell of my body. I remembered how worth it it had been to wake up, to see him get up and walk around. I'd nearly lost him. Was this just a pixie thing, how I felt for him?

"You don't have to thank me. It is my duty to keep you safe." Was that the only reason? I brushed that thought aside, tried not to remember how his lips had felt on mine outside the supermarket. "How are you feeling? Are you well enough to sit up a little…would you like to drink something?"

"Yeah." I nodded, moving my arms back and trying again, but he reached back around me, helping me and propping me up against the pillows. He left me for just a moment, returning with a glass of water that I assumed he'd gotten from the tap, and held it out to me, hovering when I took it. "We should go…what…how long…."

"It's Monday. You've been here since Friday afternoon." I took a long drink, grateful for the water, as my throat ached when I talked. Suddenly I remembered the doctor…the scent that still hung heavy in the room.

"What are they?" I asked quietly, glancing at the empty doorway.

"Vampires, apparently. The first ones I've ever run across. They are peaceful…they do not harm humans. They hunt animals instead. They live in a family group, and this is their home." He touched my face once more. "The little one is half human. I've never heard of such a thing." His voice was full of wonder and I smiled weakly, realizing my eyes had slipped shut once more. "Are you certain that you are okay? The doctor is on his way back upstairs...are you hungry?"

"No." I shook my head…the thought of food was certainly not appetizing at the moment. "Betty? Nick? Is and Devyn?" I asked, naming another of my friends.

"All have been notified of what happened and that you are okay. The wolf wanted to come, but I assured him over the phone this morning that you would be fine, and that his presence wasn't necessary."

I fought a smile as I looked up at him once more. "So he's on his way?"

"Most likely." He agreed with a smile, touching my hair. I was glad to see him smile…to see some of the pain and fear erased from his face, but before I could think more on that, I heard footsteps.

"It is good to finally see you awake." I looked over at the doorway once more, surprised to find a vaguely familiar blonde man approaching us. He paused by my bed, smiling gently at me. "I'm Carlisle Cullen. My granddaughter found you in the forest." I nodded, remembering all of this from before.

"Right…thank you…for helping me." He nodded, reaching out and taking my wrist in a very Betty-like move. I was sort of wishing for my paramedic grandmother at the moment, but this…vampire seemed surprisingly kind as he checked my pulse, although his skin was icy and harder than anything I'd ever felt.

"Your stats are almost back to normal. Your fever is nearly gone. It seems the Tylenol did help, and the burns are nearly gone as well." He pulled away, touching my forehead gently. "Still a low fever…you should stay in bed at least for another day. You are healing incredibly quickly…a pixie trait I suppose." I had to smile a bit to hear him speak so casually about pixies. Suddenly, I realized the wrist he had been holding was blue, and with a faint blush, I shifted my jaw just a little, reasserting the glamour, fighting the urge to apologize. He seemed taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "If it takes too much energy to keep up a human appearance, you truly don't need to worry about it. None of us are bothered, and no humans will come to our home." He told me softly, resting a hand on my shoulder, then pulled my shirt up just a little to check the wound on my stomach.

"It was a werewolf." I told him, keeping the glamour up. I could hear muted voices, and I assumed they were downstairs, and that 'they' were the rest of his family, including the little girl who'd found me….and had remained incredibly calm while helping me.

"Can you describe him?" The doctor asked, glancing up at me after placing my shirt back over my stomach. I didn't recognize the loose nightshirt or the pants I was wearing.

"Um…black…huge. Angry." Astley sighed, shaking his head, but Carlisle smiled a bit.

"We have a…well, a werewolf, as you call them, in the family. Jacob. But he doesn't match that description. We'll tell him…we were not aware that there were more shapeshifters in the area. He came with us when we moved here." Stepping back, he looked at both of us. "Would you like me to bring you something to eat? You can come downstairs if you'd like, but you'll need to rest." I glanced up at Astley who was only watching me. "I'll give you a moment…you are welcome to stay as long as you wish."

"I cannot thank you enough." Astley spoke softly, sincerely, and I echoed his thanks, which were waved off by the smiling doctor who left the room, shutting the door behind him. "I'm going to get you home as soon as I can." He promised, but he kept a hand on my shoulder. "You have to stay, though. Just for a while. You have to rest. Cassidy was at the hotel, but I sent her home." He seemed a bit flustered when I only stared at him, then stood, his hand not moving from my shoulder. "Did you want to come downstairs. The Cullens have been exceptionally welcoming…you really should eat something." I hesitated, not really wanting to be on display with a bunch of vampires, but I did need to thank them.

I started to swing my legs over the side of the bed, but he stopped me, frantically putting his hands on my shoulders. "Zara! You have to lie still."

I rolled my eyes. "Do you want me to go downstairs or lie still, Astley?" I snarked, but he only smiled a bit.

"Both." He answered simply, reaching out and pulling me into his arms. I gasped when he held me against his chest, being careful not to jostle me as he carried me out of the room.

"Astley, I can walk!" I cried, feeling my face heat up. He lifted an eyebrow as he looked down at me, stepping onto a grand staircase.

"No, you cannot The doctor said to lie still."

"I can walk a few feet down a staircase!" I snapped, crossing my arms and ignoring the twinge of pain that movement caused. I could hear a soft chuckle coming from the other room, and my face heated even further. I debated getting rid of the glamour, but I didn't want to freak them out…nor did I want to go around looking like a monster. 'Astley doesn't look like a monster.' I couldn't help the thought…I no longer really thought of him as a monster, even in his natural form.

"Will you just lie still and rest?" He asked, rolling his eyes. "You are hurt. The sooner you accept that and let yourself heal, the sooner you will be up and able to walk again."

"I'm able to walk now." I grumbled, but the heat was gone from my argument as I let myself rest against him just a little, my head going to his shoulder.

Renesmee

The blonde man carried the girl down the stairs, her body cradled in his arms, her head resting against his shoulder. Everything about them screamed 'couple' just like when Dad would hold Mom in his arms, or when Jasper and Alice would just look at one another, or when Emmett and Rosalie kissed a lot, until someone would remind them that I was, in fact, present, but most of the time I just left, slipping away. The girl seemed to be asleep, but as soon as Astley stepped onto the hardwood floor in the living room, she opened her eyes, her face turning red, and the smell of mushrooms and the forest seemed to fill the room. It was strange…unlike any blood I'd ever smelled, and apparently, it was the same for the others.

I sat at Mom's side on the sofa, her arm around me as she read and I did homework. Astley placed the girl gingerly on the adjacent sofa, carefully adjusting the pillows so that she could sit up and see most of us. Emmett and Jasper were on the floor, playing chess, and Dad was playing the piano. I thought about joining him…I loved playing piano with him, even if he was much better, but I couldn't seem to look away from the woman whose skin I knew was blue, but who looked human, and who smelled so strangely.

Grandma Esme and Grandpa Carlisle entered the room then, sitting in chair across from the girl, and Astley stood behind her. "I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for us." The man spoke with his almost Irish accent, smiling softly at all of us, but especially at Carlisle, then me. "I apologize that I have not formally introduced myself. I am Astley, and this is my queen, Zara White. I can never fully convey my gratitude to you for saving her life. Without her, I would be lost." The girl seemed to turn a soft red and looked down at the sofa, then met my grandfather's eyes hesitantly, her chin coming up as she spoke, stubbornly unafraid.

"Thank you so much…I would have died without your help." She turned to me, her lips curving upward. "Especially you…."

"Renesmee." I introduced myself once more, still tucked beside my mother, and she nodded to me.

"Thank you Renesmee. For saving me in the forest." I nodded, accepting her thanks, although it felt awkward. What else could I have done? Left her there?

"Your thanks are appreciated, but unnecessary. We would not have left you to die, Ms. White."

"Zara." The girl insisted quietly, shaking her head a little, and Carlisle inclined his head.

"Of course…Zara. As I said, you are more than welcome to stay as long as you need to. This is my wife, Esme." My grandmother smiled in the way that only she could, her eyes gentle and kind.

"It is so lovely to meet you, sweetheart."

Zara reacted just like everyone who met Grandma…she smiled, charmed by the lovely woman. "Thank you, Esme."

"And these are my children. Emmett and Jasper, Alice and Rosalie, and Edward and Bella, and their daughter, of course, Renesmee." My family all murmured polite greetings, their smiles mostly genuine, although uncle Jasper still looked distrustful. Dad quit playing the piano and sat on Mom's other side, his hand taking hers.

"You were attacked by a wolf, Zara?" The woman nodded at my dad's question, her hand touching her stomach as her arm folded across her front, and I noticed Astley eyeing her with worry. Carlisle, too, seemed bothered by the pained movement.

"He was a black wolf…when he shifted into human form to tie me up, I was already unconscious." She seemed apologetic, but my dad only nodded, glancing over at Grandpa.

"We'll find the wolf that attacked you…hopefully we can explain things. Are there more of you?"

"In this area? No." Astley shook his head decisively. "Although there are some a few towns over…regardless, we don't live here."

"We were visiting Dartmouth…I mean, I was, with a friend." Zara clarified, and Mom smiled at her.

"That's where we attend school…it's very nice." Zara nodded, but her eyes weren't quite focusing, and Carlisle leaned forward at the same time Astley did, his hand on her leg over the blanket. He murmured something about a fever.

"I'll fix some soup." Grandma Esme said suddenly, jumping up. "You both must be hungry…Nessie?" I stood, following her to the kitchen, but continued to peer into the living room as I helped. Astley had moved to stand behind her on the sofa, his hand on her arm, and Grandpa Carlisle was touching her stomach, murmuring something.

"Will she be okay?" I asked quietly, and Esme's hand landed on my arm, pulling me in for a gentle, cool hug.

"She will." She promised, kissing my hair. "She's still hurt…she needs time to heal. And we're going to help her…provide her with a place to stay." She pointed to the counter then, and I was put to work chopping up carrots for the soup.


	4. Chapter 4

Pixie Tip: Pixie kings are different than regular pixies. They're faster and stronger and all that, but they also leave a trace of glitter…like, actual gold glitter, wherever they go. Seriously.

Zara

The doctor pricked me with another needle, making me gasp sharply in pain as the iron burned my skin and my head pounded, but he apologized softly, and Astley was obviously trying to help, his hands gently on my arm as he shared his strength with me. He'd apologized several times now for not bringing any of our iron pills, and all mine had been in my bag, which I assumed had gone home with Cassidy. I closed my eyes, dropping back against the pillows as he injected me with some kind of medicine to reduce my fever. I could almost taste Astley's anxiety and made a concentrated effort to relax, smiling at the doctor and thanking him once more. The kind man…vampire smiled and shook his head, waving off my thanks once more. "Would soup be acceptable?" He asked, gesturing to where his wife stood in the kitchen doorway. "Vegetable or chicken noodle?"

I started to protest that they didn't need to cook for me when Astley broke in. "Vegetable would be preferable…please, allow me to help." He stood, but Esme seemed to disappear.

"My wife loves to cook, and she so rarely gets the chance now." Astley didn't argue further, instead moving to retake his place by my feet which were covered with a blanket that had been hanging off the back of the sofa. Suddenly, I didn't feel awkward anymore. Actually, I felt at peace…calm and collected…Astley was looking at me strangely, then back at Carlisle, and the others who were smiling slightly.

"You…how…" Carlisle chuckled, moving his head towards the blonde who was sitting on the floor by a chessboard….or, several chessboards with the big guy.

"Jasper…he is…gifted." Jasper grinned at me, and I widened my eyes at the overwhelming calm and contentment that flooded me. Astley was staring at him in surprise as well, his hand on my leg once more over the blanket.

"Gifted?" I had to ask, unable to help feeling completely calm and relaxed, and the doctor smiled.

"Yes. A few of my children are gifted….along with Renesmee of course." I lifted an eyebrow, glancing back at the kitchen where the girl was helping Esme. Astley only nodded, but I stared at them curiously. "Jasper is…I suppose you could call him an empath. He can feel and control the emotions of others."

I looked over at Astley in surprise. "Like you…" Carlisle leaned forward a little, but Astley shook his head, looking over at me with his full attention…I wondered how he did that sometimes…like I was literally the only person in the room.

"I can only sense your emotions, and I cannot control them." He told me quietly, then turned to Carlilse. "Because she's my queen…that's how I knew that she was injured. It's my duty to protect my queen and know if she is in danger." He spoke seriously, his face solemn, and the doctor nodded thoughtfully.

"Does it matter how far away you are?"

"No. I can sense her emotions from anywhere, and if she is particularly distressed or injured, then I feel pulled toward her." Carlisle nodded, obviously fascinated, but continued on with the conversation.

"Edward can read minds, but Bella is a shield…she keeps him from reading our minds now." My eyes widened…I couldn't imagine living with someone who could read all my thoughts. Edward grinned at my expression.

"It is inconvenient at times…when I first changed, I was often answering Carlisle's thoughts instead of his words…the shield makes it easier to have our privacy in the house."

"Do you block everyone?" I wondered, looking at the beautiful woman…well, she looked about our age, maybe a bit older, but she had a thirteen or fourteen year old daughter…so I assumed she was older than she looked. That went double for Carlisle and Esme.

"Only our family, and only at home, really. At first it was difficult to control all the time, but I've gotten the hang of it." She spoke more like me…like she was closer to my generation, while the others spoke kind of like Astley, with formal sounding words and the calm assurance of age.

"Here you go, sweetheart." I looked up in surprise when the vampire woman handed me a hot bowl of soup, her hands icy cold when they brushed against mine, and Astley took a similar bowl from the young girl.

"Thank you." I murmured, unable to help myself when I added, "You really didn't have to…"

"Don't worry about it. I enjoy cooking." She smiled, taking a seat next to her husband, and they all pretended to watch TV or read their books while Astley and I ate the delicious soup slowly. Right as I was swallowing the last mouthful of soup, an almost familiar smell hit my nose and the door was thrown open.

"There are other wolves around!" The booming voice filled the room and Bella sighed, rolling her eyes. "I've been trying to track them down and talk to them, but one of the bastards attacked me! I called for Seth to come up, and maybe Leah…if there's another pack…" The words broke off when the owner of the voice turned the corner from the corridor. A huge man, muscled and broad shouldered with dark skin and darker eyes took up the entire doorway, staring at my where I lay on the sofa, and at Astley who had stood, his body positioned in front of me. "What's going on?" The man asked, glancing over at Bella and Renesmee who sat together on the adjacent white sofa, then at Carlisle who had also stood.

"Jacob, this is Astley, a pixie king, and his queen, Zara. Zara was attacked a few days ago…possibly by one of the wolves you were speaking of." Carlisle spoke with a calm but almost scolding voice, like a parent speaking to a toddler who they'd caught yelling in a library. "Astley, Zara, this is Jacob, a…friend of the family. He is a shapeshifter….the wolf I told you about." Wary of any unfamiliar werewolves now, I just nodded to him. Probably able to feel my anxiety, Astley didn't move from his position in front of me, but held out a hand, his voice courteous.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Jacob."

"What the h*ll's a pixie?" The were snapped, crossing his arms and eyeing us dubiously. I felt a slight twinge of annoyance from Astley who dropped his arm, and then his glamour. I was surprised to realize that it felt different, when I could feel his emotions, and when I felt the emotions that Jasper had pushed at us. Jasper's had come from outside of me in some way, but I could feel Astley's emotions differently…as though they were my own…but I knew they weren't. A pixie thing, I supposed. I wasn't at all repulsed by true form either, much to my ongoing surprise, and I remembered when I'd seen him after his mother had tried to poison him…how despite his blue skin and sharp teeth, I could still see him…Astley, my king…someone who was most certainly good. I felt a wave of affection for him that I didn't quite understand, something I'm sure he felt, but didn't react to at the moment. He was tense, as if expecting an attack, but the werewolf only stared at him for a long moment, taking an involuntary step back.

"I am a pixie, were." He told the man coldly, his arms crossed in obvious displeasure at the rudeness we'd been shown.

"Were?" Jacob looked at him strangely, then at Carlisle.

"Werewolf."

"He's not technically a 'werewolf.'" Carlisle explained. "He's a shapeshifter. Werewolves are more…to stereotype I suppose you would say. They transform during a full moon and cannot control themselves while they are in their wolf form." I lifted my eyebrows, sitting up a little, then flinching and deciding to move a little more slowly. All eyes went to me for a brief moment, and I realized that being the center of attention in a room full of impossibly beautiful mythical creatures was getting old fast.

"But we know other weres….an eagle, a tiger…a bear." That last one was said more quietly as I remember the death of our friend, the kind woman who'd volunteered to go in my place to the bridge…who'd tried to get Nick back for me….and who'd been blown up in the attempt.

"Really? I have heard of other such shapeshifters…but never met any. They must be rare."

"But…there are other werewolves? Like…crazy, monsters that transform with the full moon and can only be killed with silver bullets?"

"Well, not the silver bullet part." Edward put in from his wife's side, his arm going around her shoulders and touching Renesmee's hair.

"I believe it may just be a difference in terminology." Astley suggested, finally backing away a little and sitting at the other end of the sofa once more. "Some weres….or shapeshifters, as you would call them, go feral…turn into monsters and kill anyone they see, but that is more of a disease than a constant state they are in. It is sometimes passed down in families and does not manifest until adulthood…regardless, I don't believe we have to worry about these types of werewolves. I would know if there were any in our area." He was speaking to everyone, or I thought he was, but he looked only at me, his voice soft and reassuring.

"But that doesn't really solve any of our problems." Jacob reminded everyone, rolling his eyes, and I gave him a cool glare, starting to get a bit annoyed with the wolf. I wondered if all werewolves had tempers like this. He reminded me of Nick.

'But why is that a bad thing…I love Nick.' But I wasn't so sure about that anymore. Nick had called me a soulless monster…he'd been cruel ever since I'd let Astley kiss me…all to save him. And then, when I'd finally gotten him back, he'd been hateful and prejudiced and…on several occasions, refused to even speak to me. Astley never treated me like that, not when I was human and not now.

"We have to find these guys and…."

"And what, Jacob?" Esme wondered, crossing her arms. "Kill them?"

"Well, they attacked her!" He gestured to me with his thumb. "How do we know one of them won't attack us?" He seemed to be looking specifically at the young red headed girl, and Emmett, the largest one of them all, jumped to his feet.

"Don't worry about that. We'll find them." Jasper stood as well, and both looked eager to start hunting these wolves down, when Esme shook her head.

"Not alone, you won't." The woman scolded him, crossing her arms. Out of all the vampires, she looked to be the oldest, although I wasn't sure if I could go by her looks. She seemed the most maternal though, along with Bella who was holding the teenage girl at her side, speaking quietly to her. "If they attacked both a stranger in the woods and Jacob, then we all need to confront them. Together." She glanced over at us as she spoke, hesitating for a moment. "We should go tonight…before anyone else gets hurt, especially if we're ever going to hunt in the area." I wondered if she felt nervous about leaving us in their home alone, but her next words negated that worry. "Renesmee, you should stay home, as well. You'll be able to call us if anything happens, we won't be far. And I don't want you in the middle of that confrontation." The girl looked like she was about to argue, but the others were all in agreement.

"You stand guard, Ness." The large one, Emmett spoke up, seeming to disappear and then reappear at the girl's side where he mussed her hair fondly. "If any of them come to the house, you'll be here to lock up the house. You know how."

"Of course I do." The teenager snapped, pulling away from him and smoothing her hair, but Emmett just grinned.

"Oh no. If Nessie's staying, then I'm staying!" The wolf insisted, but Edward shook his head.

"As much as I hate to admit it, we need you to help us communicate with them." He argued, but Jacob snorted.

"Why? Can't you read their minds?" Edward rolled his eyes.

"It's harder to read their minds when they're in their wolf form, you know that."

"You didn't have any trouble with me."

"Because I know you." Edward spoke slowly, as though he were speaking to a child. "Besides, if we can prove that we have an alliance with wolves already, then negotiating a treaty with them will be easier." I looked over at Astley questioningly, but he only shrugged a little, still listening. I found Jasper staring at us, his face wary, and I looked between him and Carlisle, waiting for some kind of explanation, but none came. Carlisle stood, looking between the arguing males.

"We will all go tonight. Astley, I hope you can forgive us…" Astley shook his head, lifting his hands.

"Of course. We will be fine."

"Renesmee will stay, and she has a way to contact us if need be, but you should be fine. We haven't seen any of them around the house…we didn't even know there were any wolves in the area until we found you, Zara." I glanced outside at the sun that was on its way to the horizon quickly…they would be leaving in only a few hours. I felt a twinge of nerves…were they safe, these strange creatures who'd been so kind to us, who'd taken in a strange pixie girl without having ever seen such a creature and helped save her life? Were they in danger from these wolves? I knew nothing about vampires, honestly. Jasper must have sensed my nervousness, as it seemed to disappear.

"You don't have to worry about us. We're pretty indestructible, but if the wolves attack, we are more than capable of defending ourselves." Everyone seemed surprised at the statement he directed toward me, but I nodded, smiling at him gratefully. Esme seemed to soften even more, flashing over to my side in a strangely disconcerting movement and touching my head.

"It's kind of you to worry about us." She told me softly. "We should only be a few hours…we won't stay out too long. You will be safe here, both of you. Please help yourself to anything in the kitchen. There is a spare bedroom, upstairs, the third door on the left. Feel free to sleep there if you need to." The blonde doctor's eyes were alight with curiosity, so I smiled slightly, and answered her unvoiced question.

"We sleep about as much as humans." I informed them.

"We can go longer without sleep, however, it will catch up to us." Astley added, obviously aware of what I was doing. "We are stronger and have better reflexes, but our bodies work in much the same way as humans." Carlisle nodded, obviously taking note of that.

It was quiet for a little while as they prepared to leave, all except Renesmee who seemed upset with the arrangement, not because of us, but because she obviously wanted to see the action. Still, they all hugged her, kissing her hair or pulling her into their arms, and insisting she not wait up all night for them. She apparently needed sleep like we did, and I could tell her eyes were drooping. Finally, they all were ready to go, standing at the door, giving the girl a quick goodbye, and nodding to us where we still sat on the sofa. Shutting and locking the door behind them, they left the three of us alone in the house.


	5. Chapter 5

Pixie Tip: Pixie kings can fly...just kings. Not regular pixies...not even pixie queens...the sexism continues.

Renesmee

'Why do I always have to stay home?' I grumbled mentally, crossing my arms and staring at the door while the pixies sat quietly on the sofa. I could tell the girl was getting tired, and she drooped on the sofa, her head relaxing against a pillow. I was tired too, but I was debating between going up to my bedroom or waiting for them, despite my family's orders to go to bed.

In the corner of my eye, the male stood, picking up their bowls and moving silently into the kitchen where I could hear water running and assumed he was washing the dishes. Not that he needed to…Esme would have done it in half a second if they weren't all so worried about the sudden appearance of more wolves who apparently wouldn't hesitate to attack people…and pixies. Okay, not people….not yet. The girl on the sofa shifted a little, biting her lip hard as she moved, and I stood hesitantly, then moved to her side, carefully reaching out and touching her still warm forehead. The medicine hadn't helped much.

"You okay?" I asked quietly, and her eyes opened slowly, then turned silver as she dropped the charade.

"I've been better." She admitted reluctantly, her hand gently against her stomach. "I think I'm going to go to sleep here…" I could tell she was in a lot of pain, and she obviously didn't want to be moved.

"We have some pain medicine if you think that will help…will it hurt you?"

"I don't think so…it should be fine. I've taken ibuprofen before." I nodded, hurrying over to the bathroom and finding out first aid kit that grandpa Carlisle kept below the counter. I returned with a little bottle of pills that I handed to her, and noticed that the male was back with a glass of water that he handed her.

"What did you do when this happened to you?" Zara asked, and Astley glanced up at me before explaining quietly.

"Zara and I first met when a wolf attacked me and tied me to a tree. I am a king, so I heal much more quickly on my own." He turned back to the girl on the sofa. "Unfortunately, you do no have that advantage, although you heal more quickly than a human or a normal pixie, and the fact that I can share my strength with you will help, just like before…when she was shot." I flinched. These people had gone through a lot. "Please don't feel obligated to stay up and keep us company. We'll most likely go to bed soon anyway."

"I'm going to stay up and wait for them to come back." I told them simply, and to my surprise, they didn't argue, although they'd heard the orders from the rest of my family. I supposed they could understand how it felt….surely they had family that they loved and worried about. It had been so long for us since we'd had to face a real threat to our family. I remembered that time…the days when I'd been so young, but the Volturi had come after us, a sea of vampires in black robes ready to destroy us, when uncle Jasper and aunt Alice had left us…I still had nightmares about Aro, his deep red eyes staring into mine…knowing that he wanted to kill the people I loved most. On those nights I would be awakened by my mom or dad, or by another member of my family if I was staying with them while my parents hunted…only then could I stop screaming. On more than one night, Jasper or Carlisle had held me for hours, rocking me back and forth and promising that everything was okay.

Astley waited for nearly a half hour before asking Zara if she was feeling well enough to let him carry her upstairs, and she agreed, not insisting on walking, which seemed to surprise him, as he put a hand against her forehead and frowned at the heat I knew he could feel. "There's more Tylenol in here." I handed him the first aid kit. "If her fever gets too high, I'll call grandpa Carlisle or my dad." I told him quietly, and he nodded, carefully placing his hands under her head and knees and trying to keep her as still as possible as he lifted her.

"Thank you, Renesmee. I'll let you know if she needs more medical care." He spoke to me seriously like my family did…well, most of them, like I was an adult, perfectly capable of understanding him…not like the people in town, who talked down to me like a child….well, I was sort of a child. I tried not to overanalyze my age and maturity level…it was difficult when I learned so quickly and grew so much more quickly than my peers, but still was smaller than my family. My growth had slowed down by quite a lot, but I would still mature too quickly to attend the same school for more than maybe a year, so I would probably be homeschooled soon.

The two disappeared upstairs as I sat on the sofa, the soft hum of the TV distracting me as I waited. I kept it down, but tried to concentrate on the actors on the screen when my eyes wanted to close. I had to keep watch…I had to stay awake. I went into the kitchen, pulling out a can of soda and taking a huge drink of the nasty, carbonated liquid, hoping the caffeine would help. I refused to try coffee…the bean water smelled horrible. Upstairs I could hear soft voices, and tried not to make them out, feeling rude for eavesdropping, but I could still understand their words.

"I'll sleep on the chair…you take the bed." The female didn't argue, and I wondered if they were actually a couple. He was careful to refer to her as his queen rather than his mate or girlfriend, but had confessed to loving her more than anything, no matter who she….what? Who she loved? Did she love someone else? Then why was she his queen? But the way she looked at him…she cared about him, somehow. I sighed, scolding myself for trying to stick my nose in. It wasn't any of my business, that was for sure. Sitting back against the sofa, I turned the TV up just a bit, trying not to listen to the movements upstairs.

I jerked awake, scolding myself for falling asleep as I glanced at the clock. It was nearly two a.m….I sat up, stretching and trying to figure out what had woken me…I was still groggy. Turning to the large window, I froze. There was something out there…something that wasn't a member of my family. I reached into my pocket, glancing at the ceiling. I could hear the quiet, even breathing of the female, but it sounded like the male was asleep. The creature stepped forward, out of the bushes, and through the darkness I was able to make him out perfectly…a large, dark wolf with intelligent eyes, obviously a human shapeshifter. I wasn't trained in combat…my uncles and Dad often played around with me along with Mom, teaching me to spar a little, but mostly just fooling around. They saved the serious fighting for one another, promising to really teach me when I got older. I think, after all the fighting and tension when I'd been born, Mom and Dad wanted to keep me away from all that. But now I was wishing for some kind of self defense training.

There was movement upstairs as I stood, stepping back toward the staircase just as a door opened above me. "Renesmee what…" Astley froze, and I assumed he had caught sight of my expression as he hurried down the stairs and past me, staring into the night as the creature approached. Sighing, I realized he sounded more weary than frightened. "That is Nick, a friend of Zara's." He told me gently. "He is a werewolf…or a shapeshifter if you prefer, that we know…he was Zara's boyfriend." I couldn't mistake the slight bitterness that come out of that sentence but ignored it.

"He can't come in." I informed him shortly, not caring that I was being rude. My family insisted on politeness, especially among ourselves, and we were all mostly courteous with one another anyway, but something they'd all drilled into me was that if I was home alone, I wasn't to let anyone outside of the family into our home. Ever. The only exceptions were police officers, who had to be let in if they had a warrant, and even then I should always stay outside and call one of them. If someone was hurt or bleeding or even dying, they all insisted I call before letting them into the house or being alone with them. Sometimes I thought my family was paranoid about keeping me safe, but I couldn't exactly be upset, especially now when I saw the wolf step onto our porch.

"I understand. I'll inform him that he is not allowed to come inside." He assured me quietly, and I stepped back as he moved toward the door. He seemed to notice my nerves, because he came up to me, bending down slightly so that he was at my level. "I won't allow him to come inside. I wouldn't allow him to harm you regardless…you saved my queen. I owe you and your family my life."

Zara

I woke briefly in the middle of the night, my eyes opening and wandering around the dark room that I could see more clearly now that I was a pixie. But I was alone…which was strange. I had though Astley would be there, asleep in a chair. Not that it mattered, I told myself firmly. He could do whatever he wanted. I didn't need him to sit around and babysit me…I tried to roll over when I got a bit uncomfortable and gasped from the sharp pain in my stomach, wondering how Astley had managed to walk all the way home when he'd been so badly injured. It hurt! The stabbing pain seemed to resonate all the way to my spine when I tried to move, and I groaned softly, relaxing against the pillow once more.

"Are you in pain?" That concerned voice helped me relax further, and before I could analyze the reason for that, I felt myself being pulled under once more.

"Where did you go?" I couldn't figure out why I was asking that…why I wanted him close by. There wasn't really anything he could do at the moment, and it wasn't like I really needed him here…I wasn't the kind of person who needed someone to hold my hand while I was hurt and tell me that everything would be okay. I was a feminist, a strong, independent woman who didn't need to be in a relationship to be happy. 'Girls are allowed to be sad about boys.' My own words to my best friend, Issie, came back to me and I rolled my eyes mentally at myself. Why was I thinking of that, of all things? What did that have to do with anything. I wasn't sad about Astley…or Nick. I wasn't sad about anyone.

"I was downstairs speaking with Renesmee." He seemed to hesitate over something, then touched my hand over the blanket where it rested on my stomach. "Nick is here…but he isn't allowed inside the house. He went to stay at a hotel." I had a feeling that he hadn't gone easily, not from the way Astley was speaking.

"Not allowed?" I wondered drowsily, somewhat aware that he would probably have to repeat all this in the morning when I was fully awake. If he realized that, he didn't seem to care.

"According to Renesmee. Especially not when the others aren't home. I'm going to speak to Carlisle when they return."

"Hm." My brain was too tired to come up with any kind of response to that, and I felt a warm hand stroking my hair.

"Go back to sleep, Zara. You need it." Too exhausted to argue, I let myself fall back against the bed, my eyes drifting shut.

Renesmee

I woke briefly when someone pulled me into their arms, gentle, cold lips pressing against my forehead, and immediately I recognized my father. "Dad…wolves?" I murmured, curling up in his arms, able to hear Grandpa and Jasper talking nearby. Mom was close too…I could smell her, and felt her walk beside us up the stairs, and then up the second flight to the third floor.

"We found one, but he didn't want to speak to us. He attacked, but Jasper took care of it…no one was hurt." He soothed me, and I knew we were stepping into my bedroom although my eyes were closed and the lights were out. "You're going to be much too tired to go to school in the morning." His words were scolding, but his tone was gentle, so I didn't worry. "Carlisle will try again tomorrow, probably during the day. Jasper, Emmett, and I will accompany him."

"Mom?"

"Right here, baby." I was placed on a bed that I knew was mine, and on either side, my parents sat, my dad's hand soothing my hair, my Mom scooting down to hold me as I hovered between sleep and consciousness. "What happened while we were gone? The pixie mentioned a wolf." Too tired to try and explain, I held out a hand and she took it while my dad reached over as well, and I showed them as best I could before drifting to sleep once more, my cold parents on either side of me, keeping me comfortable and absolutely safe.

That didn't keep my dreams away, though. I dreamed of a monster. I wasn't used to thinking of werewolves as monsters…especially not Jacob. But I dreamed about the man I'd seen last night, shifting into a huge, black wolf, his sharp teeth snapping at me. I dreamed that suddenly, we were surrounded by blue creatures with claws and sharp teeth and silver eyes that taunted me as they grabbed my mother and father, ripping them apart as they fought. I dreamed that a red eyed man watched from the forest, his lips curved into a cool smile, and I was so afraid….I screamed.

"Nessie! Ness! Hey, Ness, wake up kid." The terror started to recede when a hand touched my shoulder, and I realized I was sobbing, my body trembling from the horrific sight of my parents being torn apart in front of me. I knew my family was strong, that they were nearly indestructible, but they could be hurt, and the thought of losing them….of losing my mom and dad… "Shh, Nessie." Emmett was the one speaking, and Jasper was trying to calm me, but I didn't want my uncles. I jerked away, still sobbing. But before either of them could speak, I was in my father's familiar arms, and I clung to him, sobbing into his cold neck.

"Daddy…" I choked on my words, and he rocked me back and forth, humming softly. In the next second, my mom was beside us, her hand on my back, and I could feel them speaking…could almost make out the words.

"It's okay, sweetheart." He murmured, kissing my hair. "We're here. It's okay. We wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"What about you?" I whimpered, and somehow sensing what I wanted, Mom moved closer, hugging both of us.

"And we won't let anything happen to each other. You know that." He told me quietly, still rocking back and forth as I cried. "Come on." He stood, lifting me easily, even though I was too big to be carried around…then again, that rule didn't seem to apply in this house. He carried me across the hall, and I could hear my grandparents speaking quietly to Emmett, but I didn't want to talk to anyone. I felt a hot flush of embarrassment…I was acting like a baby. But it had seemed so real…in the next second, Jasper erased the embarrassment and shame, and I was left only with lingering worry and relief that my parents were with me. "It's only been a couple of hours since you went to bed." My father told me, sitting on his own bed and laying back, me still in his arms. Mom joined us, curling up against his side and keeping a hand on my back. My parents didn't need to sleep…I was the only one in the family who did. But I knew they would stay with me…they didn't mind.

"I love you." I whispered, knowing they could hear.

"We love you too, baby. More than anything." Mom whispered back, kissing my forehead, and my father repeated the gesture.

"You are our life, little one." He told me solemnly, still rocking us back and forth gently as he wiped at my eyes, and once again, I was asleep.

Zara

The next time I opened my eyes, it was too bright in the room. The curtains were drawn over the massive window that took up most of the far wall beside the bed, but they did little to block out the sun. I wondered what time it was, looking around and trying to find a clock. I finally located one on a table by the bed, and was surprised when it informed me that it was nearly one in the afternoon. How had I slept so late?

Of course, it could have been the fever…or the pain medicine. I felt more awake now, not quite so groggy or in pain as before, but I was hesitant to try and sit up, just in case. Still, I didn't want to lay on my back all day, staring at the ceiling, so I shifted a little, moving slowly at first, and was able to sit up with just a few sharp pains in my stomach, so I figured that was progress.

I wanted a shower, but wasn't sure if that was allowed, considering my injuries…and the fact that I had no idea if standing up was an option. I sat up against the headboard that was covered in some kind of thick cloth that felt like pillows as I lay my head back for a moment. I pulled my shirt up just a little, checking my stomach, and flinched a bit at the wound there. The stitches looked professional, and were obviously doing their job, and the bruising around my stomach was already fading quite a bit. As soon as I pulled my shirt back down, my stomach growled, and I was a little surprised at the familiar sensation at first. I'd forced myself to eat the soup the woman had offered me, but I hadn't actually felt very hungry…more nauseous. But now, soup sounded wonderful…anything did actually.

I tried to sit still and listen for movement downstairs. If I concentrated, I could hear the TV, and maybe one of the male vampires talking, but nothing more. I shifted a little more, pushing the covers back and slowly began to move my feet over the side. It wasn't really as painful as I'd been expecting, so I leaned forward, planting my feet on the ground. Now for the hard part…steadying myself on the headboard, I slowly pushed myself up until I was standing, closing my eyes for a moment when my stomach protested, then took a hesitant step. It hurt, but it was much better than before.

Looking down at myself, I was surprised to realize I was wearing what looked like designer sweatpants and a long, loose shirt, and I wondered who they belonged to. I brushed the thought away, walking over toward the door carefully. It felt good to walk around, and I realized I'd been in bed for quite a while…several days, actually, without moving much. Grateful that I was a pixie now, and that my injuries were healing rather quickly, I made my way to the door and opened it slowly, peering around the hallway before stepping outside of the room. "I don't think you're supposed to be out of bed, kid." I turned in surprise, wincing when the quick movement pulled at my stomach, to face the giant vampire from the night before….Emmett, when he seemed to materialize beside me.

"I…no one told me I wasn't allowed out of bed." I informed him, crossing my arms stubbornly, although it was a bit of a lie. Astley and Carlisle had insisted the night before that I lie still and not get up. The giant chuckled, grinning at me, but didn't call me out on the obvious lie.

"Need any help?" He caught me staring at the tall staircase dubiously, but I shook my head.

"No thanks." I tried to move normally, sick of being treated like an invalid…even if I technically was one for the moment. He crossed his arms, leaning against the bannister as I carefully took the first step, then the next. He sighed with exaggerated patience and I turned to give him a glare which only made him laugh again.

"Sure you don't want some help? This could take all day." Not allowing me to answer, he flashed over to my side, moving too quickly once more, and took my arm in his surprisingly gentle grip. With something to lean against and to support my weight, the stairs became much easier, and I thanked him reluctantly, sure my face was red…no…blue. I'd dropped the glamour…when had I done that? And why hadn't it surprised me when I'd woken up this morning? I adjusted the pressure of my jaw and reasserted the glamour, smirking when Emmett jerked in surprise.

"You don't have to do that." He told me after a moment, his voice surprisingly quiet…almost gentle. "None of us mind…looks pretty cool actually." I didn't have an answer for that…I didn't know why I insisted on the glamour when I wasn't around humans…or anyone for that matter. Even when it was just me in my bedroom, the shade drawn, I kept the glamour up, making sure never to catch myself being blue and creepy looking…why did that suddenly seem silly?

"Zara! What are you doing?" Astley's panicked voice came from the living room as he hurried to my side, and Emmett released my arm slowly, making sure I could stand on my own before stepping back and heading over to the sofa where the blonde woman sat.

"I was hungry." I told him simply, shrugging a little, and he gave me an exasperated look, glancing back at the doctor who joined us.

"Why don't you sit down, Zara, and let me look at your stomach." Carlisle suggested quietly, his hand hovering over my arm as though I would collapse at any moment, and I nodded, letting Astley put an arm around me and lead me over to the sofa once more where I lay back, letting the doctor push my shirt up. "You're healing very quickly now…you shouldn't have been able to get out of bed for another week…" He spoke with a quiet kind of awe, his gentle, cold fingers touching the area around the stiches. "Still, you need to be careful moving around…you could tear the stiches and that would be quite painful. Did you want to eat something? Esme made breakfast and we can head some up for you." I glanced over at Astley who was watching me with obvious worry.

"I can get it." I started to protest, but the doctor kept a firm hand on my shoulder and despite the gentle look on his face, his hand was unmovable, like trying to press against a statue….well, when I was human anyway.

"You should rest and lie still. Here." The woman had already heated up a plate of pancakes that she placed on the table in front of me, her hand on my shoulder briefly.

"I don't mind at all, dear." She told me kindly, sitting beside Emmett and the woman on the sofa where they were watching TV. They were the only other ones in the room, and I briefly wondered where the rest of the family was. Giving up on the thought that was none of my business, I began to eat while Astley sat beside me, his still-anxious eyes on me.

"About your…werewolf friend." Carlisle began, leaning forward in the chair where he'd sat across from me, and the other glanced up. Astley scooted just a bit closer to me, gauging my reaction, but I only swallowed the bite of pancakes and paused, looking up at the blonde vampire. "I apologize that we did not allow him in our home last night. We've made sure that Renesmee knows never to let a stranger in the house when one of us isn't home…for her own safety, of course."

I nodded, completely understanding that. The little girl seemed pretty independent and capable, although she sometimes clung to her mother or father like a child…a little walking contradiction. Still, it wasn't all that strange that her family would insist on her following such a rule. "It's fine…I'm sure he's okay at a hotel. He didn't even really need to come…he's just worried, I guess." Carlisle nodded, glancing at Astley once more.

"I'm sure he is, considering what happened. If you think it's a good idea, I was wondering if Nick would be opposed to going with Jacob to try and meet with the wolves…explain things. Maybe if two shapeshifters…or werewolves, if you prefer, were to try to speak with them, things may go a little more…smoothly." I looked over at Astley, but he seemed to be waiting for me to respond.

"Yeah…I'll ask him. If he can come over today, that is." I amended. Carlisle nodded.

"Of course he may. As I said, it was only a precaution for Renesmee's safety." Right as I was about to agree and assure him that we weren't at all offended, Astley leapt to his feet, dropping the glamour as his teeth sharpened into points and his claws extended. To my own surprise, I felt my glamour drop as well, not sure what was going on, but ready to fight….in theory. The wound on my stomach was telling me I wasn't ready to fight at all.

The vampires were all standing now, watching Astley warily. "What is it?" I asked him quietly as he made his way to the window, looking out.

"Stay here." He cautioned me, putting a hand on my shoulder for a moment, then hurried toward the door. "I'll be right back!" With that, he threw the door open and took off, disappearing into the sky.

"You…he…you guys can fly!" Emmett cried incredulously, and even Carlisle looked shocked as the four of them turned to me for an explanation.

"Only kings." I muttered, leaning forward and trying to catch a glimpse of him. Not many things made Astley react that way, but I could think of one that would…had some of Franks pixies found us?


	6. Chapter 6

Pixie Tip: Pixies, in their natural form, have blue skin, sharp teeth, and claws to match. If their king becomes unstable, they'll make use of those sharp teeth.

Zara

Astley flew out the door, leaving me with the confused vampires who all looked to me expectantly. Esme and Carlisle were standing by the open front door while Emmett chuckled softly. "Fly…you things can fly…" He muttered under his breath, and I gave him a look.

"Pixies." I snapped, not even knowing why I was defending him….us…. "We're not things, we're pixies." He snorted, then lifted an eyebrow.

"Whatever. Pixies." I rolled my eyes.

"Kings can fly." I told them again absently, still watching as he disappeared in the sky. "Where's Renesmee?" I wondered suddenly, looking at Carlisle. "And the others…"

"Renesmee is still asleep, and Bella and Edward are with her…she had nightmares last night." I frowned, concerned. Was it the pixies, I had to wonder. Or had she had a nightmare about the wolves? About Nick? "Jasper and Alice are upstairs." I hesitated, glancing up at the ceiling. "And Astley?"

"I…I don't know." I whispered, putting a hand over my stomach where I'd pulled at it a little. He glanced at his son who stood, pulling the blonde along with him. But before they could leave, Astley crashed into the front lawn, and I could feel his embarrassment when he saw the incredulous looks of the vampires on him. "What's going on?" I demanded, jumping to my feet and ignoring the twinge in my stomach. "Astley?" He was on his feet in a second, and I was a little surprised to see that he wasn't wearing a glamour…and even more surprised to realize that I didn't care.

"The wolves were fighting." He told me simply. "Jacob and Nick ran into some others."

"Is everyone okay?" Esme asked softly, stepping forward when my jaw clenched and Astley caught me with a sigh, his hands keeping me upright.

"You shouldn't be out of bed." He scolded softly.

"Will you stop…worrying about me?" I forced my tone to turn gentle at the end. 'He's worried about me.' I told myself sharply. 'He's worried…he can't help it. He's my king. It's his job. "Are Nick and Jacob okay?"

He sighed, squeezing my arm and helping me over to the sofa, then nodded to the others. "The wolves are okay. I'm not sure what they were fighting about, but I could smell more pixies nearby. I believe the wolves were all tracking them and got into a fight." He glanced up when Edward and Bella appeared at the base of the stairs, hand in hand, Edward's sole focus on Astley, and my king smiled a bit, making Edward smile as well as he read his mind.

"They're coming?" Edward confirmed. Astley nodded just as the smell hit me.

Renesmee

I woke to the familiar voice asking for me. "Where's Nessie?" It was Jacob…I knew Jacob's scent and his voice and…and there was someone else downstairs. I sat up, looking around to find myself in my mom and dad's room overlooking the river. The sun was rising in the sky and I wondered absently what time it was as I tried to puzzle out the new smell, but the pixies were making it hard. I stretched, remembering the nightmare with some embarrassment before trying to brush it away. I didn't want to think about it…not now. Instead, I got out of their giant bed that they didn't sleep in (I pointedly did not think about what they actually did in the bed) and stood, stretching once more as my bare feet hit the thick carpet that filled the entire house.

Slipping out of their bedroom, closing the door behind me, and nearly ran into Jasper who chuckled, catching me by the shoulders. "Good morning." He greeted with a grin, ruffling my hair. I gave him a look, trying to fix it, but before I could, Alice appeared behind me with a brush and, before I could even attempt to make myself look presentable, she had braided may hair and twisted it into a little bun at the back of my head.

"Morning." I wiped at my eyes, thanking Alice when she placed a little pin in my hair, and she kissed the top of my head. I was almost as tall as Alice…Carlisle thought I would be almost as tall as Edward by the time I was done growing, and I was getting taller every day. Still, I was only up to Jasper's shoulder. "Who's downstairs?"

"That's what we were just going to figure out." He told me with a grin.

"Get dressed." Alice shooed me toward my own room. "I set out your outfit for today."

"I can pick out my own clothes." I told her, rolling my eyes, and Jasper laughed, pulling me into a quick hug before leaning against the wall, gesturing for me to go on, and I hurried into my bedroom, throwing on the frilly skirt and top, yanking socks on and ignoring the shoes. We weren't going anywhere and I doubted they'd make me go to school today…my aunt just liked dressing me up. She scowled when I hurried past her, the shoes thrown back into the closet, and Jasper laughed, reaching out and grabbing me, making me laugh against my will when his hands found my sides, his finger digging into the sensitive skin there, and I screeched, fighting him as hard as I could, but he didn't relent until I heard my dad's voice.

"What, exactly, are you doing to my daughter?" He asked, sounding amused, and I reached out for him.

"Daddy!" I cried, trying to sound pitiful, and he laughed, flashing forward and taking me from my brother, kissing my hair and setting me at his feet. "Good morning. Are you coming downstairs?" I nodded.

"Who's here?"

"Jacob and…another wolf." He rolled his eye, his arm around me as we headed downstairs. My mom, who was speaking softly to Jacob and…another tall, broad shouldered man that was standing over by Zara. Astley was standing between the wolf and Zara, who slumped against the sofa, and my family stayed away from the other man, my uncle Emmett staying between Rosalie and the man.

"Hey Nessie." Jacob greeted me, and the wolf turned to look at me, lifting an eyebrow. "This is Nick." He introduced the other wolf, and I realized there was some tension between them.

'Two alphas?' I wondered, but smiled at Jacob, greeting him then hurried over to my mom's side, not missing how my grandparents and uncles moved closer to Nick, obviously keeping a close eye on him.

"Nick, this is my daughter, Renesmee." My mother told him, her hand on my shoulder as we sat down, and he did the same, nodding to me. My dad sat on Mom's other side, taking her hand, and my grandparents sat on the other side of me, my grandmother touching my arm for a moment.

"You're the one that saved Zara?" He confirmed, sitting beside the girl, but Astley moved between them, giving the wolf a sharp look. Zara sighed softly, but moved over to give him room. I nodded, looking down at my lap, suddenly shy with this strange man that was looking at me so intently.

"Renesmee found her in the woods after she was attacked by some of the werewolves here." My father put in, and Nick nodded.

"Well...thank you, regardless."

Zara

Everyone was a bit on edge, their eyes all on either Astley or the weres, and I felt Astley touch my arm, obviously able to feel my worry. As the afternoon had passed into evening, Esme had disappeared into the kitchen, cooking dinner for everyone that needed to eat, and the vampires had questioned us and the weres. "This…Frank?" Carlisle had asked. "He's a danger to you?"

"He's a king." Astley had explained, and I hadn't been able to miss Nick's glare when Astley had taken my hand. "He doesn't have a queen, and he wants Zara."

"He wants…Zara?" Edward had asked, obviously confused.

"A queen keeps a king stable." Astley had sighed, glancing over at me. "Zara…a king who is ruling must have a queen. I need Zara. Frank knows that. He will do anything to take her away from me…kill her if he has to."

"What about us?" Emmett put in, his arms crossed as he leaned against the doorframe.

"You shouldn't be in any danger." Nick had put in. "The pack around here probably doesn't like vampires…we didn't really get to talk to them."

"But they like pixies even less." Jacob put in, looking at my ex-friend irritably. I had to force myself not to roll my eyes at ridiculous werewolves.

"Pixies cannot enter a home uninvited, regardless." Astley had told them all. "They cannot come into your home. And the werewolves around here will keep them away from you. After we leave…and we will leave as soon as Zara is able, they will have no reason to bother you. Vampires and pixies typically don't come into contact with one another…rather, none of the pixies I know have ever come into contact with vampires.

At that point, Esme had come out with several plates of food, and I'd thanked her quietly, taking a bite of the pasta and watching the two weres dig in. Renesmee, too, began to eat her pasta, more nibbling than actually eating. Instead, she was sneaking glances at Nick and Jacob, then at us. While I had my glamour up, Astley hadn't yet put his back, and he was blue with bright silver eyes. For a moment I was temped to drop mine…I knew it would driving Renesmee crazy that she couldn't study us…she seemed to be like her grandfather like that, and Nick was annoying me. He kept glaring at Astley, especially when he touched me.

'Who does he think he is? We're not together…he doesn't even like me anymore.' I thought irritably, trying to focus on the conversation.

"You don't have to be in any hurry." Esme tried to assure us, obviously speaking only to Astley and myself. The others had all noticed the tension between us and Nick, and they didn't seem particularly fond of the were…not that I was either. Sighing and leaning back against the sofa, I dropped the glamour. Astley only glanced at me for a moment, hiding any surprise he felt, and turned back to the vampires. Renesmee was actually staring at me by then, and Nick glared. I ignored him, smiling at Renesmee and showing her the teeth, making her laugh softly, smiling back and showing me her own teeth, flat and normal looking, but, I had a feeling, still dangerous like the rest of her family.

The rest of her family all ignored my change, only smiling a little at Renesmee's curiosity as she looked at me, and Carlisle continued to ask questions of Astley and Nick. Honestly, I just wanted to heal and go home. I had a feeling this family was in danger because of us, and I hated that, no matter what Astley said. Even if the pixies couldn't come into the house, the family might still be in danger. They'd been kind to us, all of them. They'd taken us in and cooked for us and helped me heal…they didn't deserve all this crap that was following us around. They deserved to be happy, and with us there, they were in danger.

Renesmee

I couldn't believe they'd actually made me go to school! Things at home were just getting interesting! The werewolves and the pixies…it was like a good TV show! Not that life was usually boring in my family…but this was more interesting than usual. Everyone was on edge, waiting for Jacob and Nick to start fighting, waiting for the pixies to show up…waiting for anything. But Alice had been on the lookout and my parents had insisted I go to school. "You got to stay home yesterday." My mother had told me with a kiss on my forehead.

"You all get to stay home!" I'd whined, making my family laugh, and Emmett had stuck his head into my bedroom where my mother was fixing my hair.

"When you're as old as we are, you can skip school whenever you want, deal?"

"I'll never be as old as you!" I'd snapped. "You're ancient." He'd stuck his tongue out at me then disappeared, and my father had taken his place, my backpack in hand.

"I'll drive you." He had offered, sitting on my bed and watching my Mom as she fixed my long hair into a complicated braid.

"No thanks." I'd grumbled. I liked walking. He'd nodded.

"Okay. Just make sure you take your phone, but don't have it on during school."

"But what if you need to call me?" He'd chuckled.

"If we need your werewolf expertise, I'll come get you." He promised, flashing over and kissing my hair before heading back downstairs. I grumbled under my breath, making my mom smack me gently against the back of my head.

"Behave." She'd scolded, tugging my hair into place, then kneeling in front of me. "You know you have to go to school, sweetheart." She'd told me, touching my face and moving a stray hair artfully behind my ear. "It'll be over before you know it."

"Please?" I had tried, making my face as sad as I could, but she only laughed softly, tapping me on the nose.

"No. I'll see you after school. Be careful." And with that, I'd been sent off. Sent off to school to watch other people struggle with long division while my family of vampires played host to the pixies and werewolves…shapeshifters. Whatever. But while my family was having fun with the pixies and the werewolves…shapeshifters….whatever, I got to sit in school. All day. But it was over eventually, and I finally got to go home. I hurried home through the forest, anxious to get back to my family and Zara and Astley…and Nick. I wanted to learn more about these strange creatures! My father often teased me, telling me I was too much like my grandfather.

Something was in the forest. I felt my blood freeze, a strange feeling…I was almost never really afraid. I never had to be. My family would protect me at all costs and there wasn't much that could hurt me. But now, with the introduction of these strange blue creatures and odd werewolves…well, I suddenly understood what it meant when people said that they froze in terror. My stomach clenched as I turned, hearing my name. "Renesmee. Renesmee, come to me." I didn't know what crazy part of my brain felt compelled to listen, but I found myself taking a step toward the forest, suddenly sure that whatever was out there wouldn't hurt me. I reached out, taking another step, my body feeling oddly heavy and tired as I pushed a branch back, stepping off the trail that would lead me back home. Surely I was safe. I wasn't afraid.

Until I saw the woman. She looked like Zara, but more terrifying. Her eyes were wild…feral. Her sharp teeth made a jolt of horror zip down my spine, and I felt myself take an involuntary step back when I caught sight of her silver, cruel eyes set against blue skin. She wore a long, flowing dress, and had short, black hair that almost reminded me of Alice. I took another step back, sure that this creature's pointed teeth and impossibly sharp claws could hurt me. I could certainly bleed.

Turning on my heels, I made my legs move as fast as they could, a scream caught in my throat. I couldn't run as fast as my family…that usually didn't bother me. I kept up with them when we played games, using Jasper's advice to help me outmaneuver them when possible. And of course they were careful with me…even if I wasn't as strong or as fast, they wanted me to be able to play with them. But at the moment, I was wishing for the super speed of my father, or the strength of my uncle Emmett or my mom…back when she was still a newborn. My hair flew behind me as I ran, and it was that which proved my undoing.

I did cry out when hands gripped my hair, forcing me to a painful stop and throwing me onto the ground. I was a little over two miles from the house…if I screamed, they could hear me. But a blue hand crushed my face, forcing my nose into the dirt, and I gasped for breath painfully, my heart racing. I tried to scream, forcing an elbow back, and found purchase in what felt like a stomach. The creature shrieked and fell back, and I was on my feet again.

"Little b*tch!" The female screamed, and she leapt at me, her sharp claws raking across my face. I screamed at the horrible, stinging pain, and screamed again, gasping in agony when something clawed across my stomach. What was it doing? The female laughed, her teeth sinking into my wrist, and I groaned in pain, dropping to my knees. Blood…blood soaked the front of my shirt and dripped into my eyes, and I felt my eyes start to droop as the blood left my body painfully.

"Mmm…you don't smell like the others…and you don't taste like a human. What are you?" I hissed, baring my teeth and snapping at her, instincts from my father's side taking over, and she laughed, jerking away easily. "You're not as fast as they are either, are you little one. A Halfling then?" I tried to kick her off, making her roll her eyes in amusement. "I'm starving…and Frank told us to pick off anyone that tried to help the princess…" I had no idea what that meant, but before I could build up a proper scream, her teeth sank into my wrist once more, and I gasped, writhing in pain.

The snarl came from my right….just as my head hit the ground, a large, familiar shape flew through the air, and I managed another scream when her teeth were torn from my wrist. "Ness! Nessie!" My wrist throbbed and my stomach ached and I felt hot tears pooling in my eyes and slipping down my face, reminding me that that hurt too. Strong arms wrapped around me and I felt my mother press her lips against my hair as I slumped against her. "Renesmee!" She screamed, her voice raw and almost hoarse.

"Mommy?" I was crying, my whole body throbbing with the pain as she tried to stop the bleeding.

"Oh, god…oh baby, hang on." Something pressed against my stomach and I sobbed, trying to curl up and away from the painful pressure until it became too much, and my vision faded to black just as she pulled me into her arms.

Zara

I smelled the blood right after the others…everyone in the room stiffened, and Carlisle and his son, Edward, leapt to their feet right as Bella shoved the door open, her daughter in her arms. Astley stared at the girl, his eyes wide in shock. "Pixies." He whispered, reaching down to touch my arms. I smelled them on her too…when had the girl run into pixies?

"Renesmee?" Edward was at his wife's side in the time it took me to blink, his hand carefully touching her face that had been split open from her temple, down under her cheek, and across her mouth. "Nessie? Bella, what happened?" The woman wasn't speaking though…she just sobbed, her eyes closed, until he stepped around her, gently wrapping his arms around her as their father and the leader of the family stepped up, reaching out to take his granddaughter. To my surprise, Bella snarled, her eyes blazing and her teeth snapping at him. He didn't seem at all offended…or even surprised. Instead, he moved slowly, nodding to Edward who restrained her, letting him take the child. Bella screamed, her eyes wild, all traces of the friendly young girl gone.

"Give her back! Renesmee!" Edward shushed her, turning her around and rocking her back and forth.

"Shh, Bella. Shhh, my love. Carlisle has Renesmee. He's going to help her." After a moment, she seemed to collapse against him, and while the long haired male and the girl who was his mate moved over to Bella's side, reaching out and touching her shoulder or taking her hand, the other two went to Carlisle's side, watching grimly as the doctor lifted her shirt. The wound was much different than mine…while a werewolf had torn me open, the pixie's mark was more narrow…and deeper. A ragged line cut across her stomach right above her belly button, oozing blood until Carlisle covered it with a rag that Esme handed him, putting steady pressure on it, then thanking her when she gave him a towel instead.

"Emmett, cover the wound on her face. Rosalie, wrap her wrist. She's losing a lot of blood…hurry." It was almost funny to watch the giant male take the rag so gently and place it against the child's face, barely pressing down. "Harder, Emmett. You've got to stop the blood…she's already out. You won't hurt her." He nodded, pressing more firmly.

"It's going to be okay, Nessie." He whispered, touching her shoulder, but the child didn't respond.

"Your kind did this." Carlisle bit out, looking back at us sharply, but before I could even shake my head, Astley was speaking.

"Pixies did, yes. But not my pixies. None of my subjects are around here, I can promise you that. My pixies would never have harmed a child."

"Friend's of yours then?" Emmett snapped, glaring at Astley in particular. My king sighed.

"Not exactly. They want to kill us…to kill Zara."

"We have to leave." Astley looked down at me, reaching for my shoulder, but I shook my head. "Astley, we have to leave, now! Look what they did to Bella's daughter! What if they attack her again?"

"They won't be getting anywhere near her." Jasper snarled, squeezing Bella's shoulder one last time before heading toward the door, Alice on his heels. "We'll be back later." He snarled. I shook my head again.

"No, you can't!" The male froze, looking at me, first in anger, then surprise as he must have read my emotions. "They'll kill you! You don't understand…there are so many of them. Astley, we're putting them in danger!" My voice was almost hysterical as I tried to move...we had to leave.

"You're not well enough to travel." He argued softly, stopping me when I tried to stand up. The two vampires left the house without another word, the door slamming behind them.

"I'll heal at home…away from these people. This is my fault…I can't stay here."

"Astley is right, you are not well enough to travel, dear." Esme argued softly while Carlisle remained silent, pressing the towel against the girl's stomach. Bella was silent as well, clutching her husband, her body trembling as she waited, and Edward watched in terror while his father worked.

"She needs blood…now. Edward, get me a bag…it doesn't matter which type. Her body should accept anything." Edward gently released his wife, nodding to Esme who moved to hold the girl. "They must have drank from her…she's so cold." He dug in his bag, letting Rosalie take over as she held the towel against the girl's stomach for a moment, and pulled out a needle.

"Shh, Bella." Esme tried to comfort her daughter, rocking them back and forth, but Bella wouldn't be comforted. She was watching in sheer terror as her father worked on the child, her hands clutching her mother's. Emmett reached out from the child's head, taking Bella's hand and smiling a little at her.

"She'll be okay, Bells. Don't worry. Carlisle has her." He tried to soothe her.

"Do you need any help?" Astley asked softly, and the doctor shook his head, making an effort to sound friendly as he started to set up what looked like a makeshift IV, then inserted the needle into the girl's arm. The little girl didn't even flinch.

"No, thank you. There are enough of us to handle this." Astley nodded.

"Then please, excuse me. I'm going to help Jasper and Alice locate these pixies and…have a talk with them." I wanted to go…I wanted to find the monster that had attacked the poor girl, the one who'd saved my life, and kill them…but I could barely walk on my own.

"I'm going to go upstairs…get out of your way." I tried to stand, but I was barely given the chance before Astley scooped me up in his arms, carrying me toward the staircase. "I'm so sorry." I whispered the words, my eyes closed as Astley stepped onto the first step. "This is my fault and I'm so sorry."

"This is not your fault, honey." Esme argued quietly. "We know you never wished for this to happen. We will take care of Renesmee. She'll be fine." She had switched to soothing Bella by the end of that sentence, and with that, Astley carried me back up to the guest room.

He started to leave me on the bed…I don't know why I clutched his hand, tears falling from my face. "My fault…no matter what they say, this is my fault, Astley!" He sighed, shaking his head, and sat across from me as I cried.

"This is not your fault, Zara!" He told me sharply, his hands on my shoulder. Downstairs, I could hear Carlisle's quiet, terse voice ordering Edward to get more blood. The child was still out…I anxiously waited for her to wake up. I needed her to be okay…the poor kid had saved my life and look where that had gotten her.

"She was coming by from school, Astley. She…she was just walking home…why would they…"

"Frank's pixies know we're here. They probably know that my queen is hurt, and that they are harboring us. They'll do anything."

"Exactly!" I cried. "We have to leave. I can't do this to them! They're in danger!"

"Zara, you can't travel yet. You have to stay here, just for another few days. Okay? You're healing quickly, but you need rest. I'm going to make sure Jasper and his mate are okay…I'll speak with the pixies…kill them if I can. Just stay here." He looked anxious, his hands firm on my shoulders as he pressed me back against the bed, and as much as I wanted to fight him, my stomach was killing me. I nodded, closing my eyes as tears continued to fall, and he backed away slowly, then leapt out of the window.

I didn't know how long I cried, my hands hiding my face. I wanted to go home. I wanted this stupid war to be over…I wanted to be human again! I wanted to go back to a time where I hadn't known about pixies or werewolves or…or vampires! I barely noticed the soft tap on my door, but when I glanced up, I found the big male, Emmett, at my door. "I'm sorry." I sobbed, shaking my head and hiding in my hands. "I'm so sorry."

"I know you didn't do this." He sounded a bit frustrated, and I noticed the blood on his hands that he absently wiped on his jeans. I couldn't look away from the blood, even as he stepped into the room and stood at the foot of the bed. "Esme sent me to ask if you were okay."

"No." I whispered, covering my face. "Is Renesmee…is she going to be okay?"

He sighed harshly, crossing his arms, but his face was more worried than angry. "Yeah, she'll be okay. Carlisle is a great doctor…he's the best doctor there is. He'll take care of her." He paused, his face softening. "You're bleeding again." I looked weakly down at my stomach and groaned, putting my hand against the wound that had somehow opened again. "Let me get…"

"No!" I snapped. "Don't you dare take anyone away from Renesmee! I'm fine." He chuckled a little, the sound a little sad.

"You sound like Bella…well, before she was changed. Here." He moved over to where I was laying, taking the cloth he'd been using and, pushing my shirt up, holding the cloth to the wound. "You heal fast."

"One of the perks, I guess." I mumbled with a shrug. He let me take over, stepping back once more. "My blood doesn't bother you?"

"Nah. You guys smell weird…not bad. Just…not appetizing."

"Thanks…" He chuckled, sitting on the bed across from me. "Are you sure she'll be okay?"

"Yeah. She's still out. Carlisle says it's the blood loss. She almost never gets hurt…she's a pretty tough kid, and we all look out for her…don't you have a family that's worried about you?"

"Um…I'm a pixie." I told him simply, but at his confused frown, I exhaled, leaning back against the pillow to look at him. "When I was human, I had friends and a grandmother and…and a mom and dad. But my stepdad…he…he died. He had a heart attack and I um…I moved to live with my grandmother. I just…I couldn't…" I shook my head, wiping furiously at my eyes. 'I should be over this….' I told myself sharply, but Emmett only looked understanding…and curious.

"Sorry." He told me simply, looking down at the blankets for a moment, but I shook my head.

"No…I liked living with my gram. I started dating Nick…and found out that he was a were….a shapeshifter, like you call them. And my gram too…and then Astley came along." He was still watching me, patient and curious, one eyebrow lifted, but I felt the need to hurry the story along. "But, uh…well Nick got killed and then…Astley turned me into a pixie…into his queen, so that I could save Nick. But everyone in my family hates pixies…and so does Nick."

"Ah." He nodded, a grim smile turning his lips upward. "Got it. So you saved him, but he hates you?"

"Yeah…pretty much."

"Sucks." He told me sympathetically, and I had to laugh a little.

"Yeah…yeah it does. All this supernatural stuff…it's total crap." I grumbled.

"So you and the pixie guy…"

"Um…I'm his queen." I answered with a shrug.

"Which means….?"

"No idea. I mean, I kind of feel when he needs me and he can feel my emotions sometimes and…I don't know. It's weird. There hasn't really been time to talk about it." He nodded. "But, uh…you can tell Esme that I'm okay. Just…focus on Renesmee." He nodded, standing and heading back out to the door. "Emmett?"

"Yeah?" He turned, crossing his arms once more.

"Just…can you tell Edward and Bella…tell them…I'm so sorry." My voice dropped off at the end and he nodded, his face almost sympathetic as he left the room. "Oh, and you're blue again." He chuckled softly as he headed down the stairs and I clicked my jaw irritably, switching the glamour back on.


End file.
